Devoicing of vowels in between or after unvoiced consonants | A key to sounding natural!

Devoicing of vowels in between or after unvoiced consonants | A key to sounding natural! | 母音の無声化

Рет қаралды 7,875

Күн бұрын

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There's a mistake on one of the pitch accent diagrams.
The pitch accent of ありがとうございます is
　り
あ　がとうございます
り is high, but が isn't high, but in the video, the diagram shows that が is high too.
• Devoicing of vowels in...
I'm sorry about this.
-------------
Hi, Welcome to Speak Japanese Naturally
Here's a video on Japanese vowel devoicing!
If you can do this, you sound much more natural.
That's another key to making you sound like a Japanese person other than pitch accent.
00:00 Introduction
00:41 What's devoicing?
01:04 Voiced sounds vs Unvoiced sounds
02:47 When Does it occur?
04:00 (1) I and u in between unvoiced consonants
07:52 (2) Desu and masu at the end of a sentence
09:21 (3) Sometimes a and o after an unvoiced consonant at the beginning of a sentence except for atamadaka words
11:40 (4) Sometimes i and u after an unvoiced consonant at the end of a sentence
If this feels too much, just devoice su of desu and masu!
Enjoy 😊
This video is made by Fumi from Speak Japanese Naturally.
I usually make videos about the Japanese pitch accent.
Japanese is a pitch accent language, so you should imitate the pitch when you practice speaking!
That will help you sound more natural. This channel deals with the Kanto(Tokyo) dialect, which is also standard Japanese and is used in most textbooks and national broadcasts.
#SpeakJapaneseNaturally #devoicing #vowels
---------------------------
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Пікірлер: 78

@lisamariefan 10 ай бұрын

Tangentially related, but since I had learned that 靴 means shoes recently it's actually really interesting that socks is 靴下, or kinda like "undershoes." It's satisfying to have little revelations like that.

@flyback_driver 7 ай бұрын

3:07 ah yes I knew I wasn't going mad. I never hear いただきます pronounced with the "masu" but almost always just "mas" from native speakers. Same withございます. This video gave me a little more confidence to try speaking more outside of reading out loud.

@melanietaylor5453 2 жыл бұрын

Great topic. It's interesting to hear why the vowels are silent between certain sounds. Another great and informative video, sensei!

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, nice to hear from you! Thank you for the comment 😊

@johnnylee3505 Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! I've been trying to look for the answer to this topic for a long long time.

@japanese2811 3 ай бұрын

What an amazingly useful video, I always wondered about this and finally I understand a bit better. Thank you so much!

@frederickchung1662 2 жыл бұрын

大変勉強になりました! 嬉しいです!! Thanks a lot

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

それを聞いてこちらもうれしいです！　コメントありがとうございました〜😊

@shizuokaBLUES Жыл бұрын

Thanks, your short sent me here. This is a great lesson.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!😊✨

@frederickchung1662 2 жыл бұрын

本当に素晴らしい講義だと思います！Great Japanese teacher!

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

ありがとうございます！

@mr_yoshidasan 2 жыл бұрын

Vi este video de principio a fin. Enorme trabajo y una excelente explicación. Mi pronunciación es realmente mala y debo esforzarme por mejorar primero mi oído. Muchas gracias por este video.

@prichitoadiamantadoP3-18 Жыл бұрын

One of the few videos, if not the only one, about this topic. I was looking for it because european portuguese also has an unvoiced vowel. Arigatou

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

Oh, I didn’t know about that. Thank you for the information 😁

@frederickchung1662 2 жыл бұрын

私は心の底から先生を尊敬しています! Thanks a lot!

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

ありがとうございますーー！✨😊

@n20games52 2 жыл бұрын

I could always hear this in Japanese but never had it explained so clearly. ありがとうございます。ビデオはすばらしいでした。:D

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

I’m glad this video was helpful. コメントありがとうございます😊

@victorchen5663 Жыл бұрын

先生、面白い動画を作ってくれてありがとうございました！　日本語の発音って本当に奥深いですね！　いろいろな細部がありすますね！　私はもっと頑張りなきゃ！

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

そうなんです、いろいろ細部を見ていくと、発音はおもしろいですよね！　がんばってくださいね😊

@jasenkaizeljkosikic493 2 жыл бұрын

Uaaaau, beautiful and so interesting topic of this video. この動画とてもよかったです。ありがとう。

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

ありがとうございます！そう言っていただけてうれしいです😊

@fmg8350 2 жыл бұрын

My sensei is back! Sensei ga kaette kimashita! 😊

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I’m back!! You haven’t believed, have you?😂

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 9 ай бұрын

@jacobcrowley8207 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. Arigato gozaimasu, with an unvoiced ending. 😋

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

😂😂

@debwefoxx9389 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this topic. I follow Japanese figure skating and have wanted to understand how to say names well. It is the first place I heard the Japanese language and I fell in love with it. Question: Is it appropriate to write お願いします the first time you write to someone (email or direct message) or is it for physical meetings only? Thank you

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

お願いします as in よろしくお願いします？ Yes, you can write the phrase to someone who you write to for the first time! Is there any specific figure skaters that you want to know how to say their names?

@johnnylee3505 Жыл бұрын

Btw, could you make a video on "ta" and "da"; and "ka" and "ga"; as well as "ga" and "nga" when they have sound changes as particles. Thanks. 😊

@NN-rn1oz Ай бұрын

I'm Americanu from Ohio (good morning ). For breakfast I eat Furosutadu Furekusudu cereal and for lunch I go to Makudonarudo.

@massvt3821 2 жыл бұрын

I was the one who mentioned the difference between "Shizuka" and "Suzuki". There is a Japanese KZfaqr named "Shizuka" who pronounces her name without the "U", and this channel is the source for this comparison. ( Good channel, by the way, with a young Japanese woman who spent years living in England, but because of personal tragedy, is now back in Japan. Her English is basically native-level)...

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

I knew it was you but i didn’t mention it, I’m sorry. I have been thinking about “ Shizuka” for a while and I could finally make it into a video. Is it easy for you to tell the difference between the devoiced “u” and the voiced “u”? As for me, it is hard to tell the difference in “u” in Shizuka, so it took me while to make this video. I guess I can tell the difference now…🤔

@massvt3821 2 жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Yes, she basically removes the "U" completely, so it sounds like "Shizka". I wonder if the difference lies in the "ka" in comparison to the "ki", to decide if the "u" is devoiced...

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

Another interesting point...! I don't think the difference lies in the "ka" because when we say "Suzuka," which is a place name, we don't usually devoice "u." So I think it's "u" before "zu" that makes "zu" voiced...

@massvt3821 2 жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally I should have looked up "suzuka" first..lol I'd love to see a video about English education in Japan, and your experience with it...

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the suggestion. It's not actually about learning Japanese, so I'm not sure if I will make a video about that, but that sounds interesting, so I'll think about that. It'll again take a while...(I always need time😅)

@stephan3077 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your latest video! This reminds me of a question I always wondered about: should the "u" in Asakusa be devoiced or not? 😊🤔. I seem to hear both, also from Japanese native speakers.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve been asked this question, and I forgot to include it in the video!! Was it you who wrote the question? I’m sorry! Usually, u in Asakusa is devoiced. But devoicing happens only in Standard Japanese, Tokyo dialect, so Japanese people who are from other places might not devoice u.

@stephan3077 2 жыл бұрын

Dear Fumi -sensei, thank you very much for your reply. No, it wasn’t me who asked this question before 😊. But your answer explains it, now I finally know, thank you!

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

You take care

@timlarsson 2 жыл бұрын

Great video explaining something that I have not been able to fully understand before. Especially rule number 3, which was really a moment of なるほど！💡 But if I understand you correctly, ティムです would not be devoiced (ム I mean) since it was only for し and す. And actually, ム would never be devoiced since it's a voiced consonant, right? 😮

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 2 жыл бұрын

You're right, ム is never devoiced because of the "m" before "u." Thank you for the comment!

@manfredmclaren3408 Жыл бұрын

A great video. Thank you. Could you, please, tell if the つ numerals that have the Odaka pitch pattern would have the う reduced at the end of a phrase (before a vocal pause), e.g. 2つ、3つ、4つ etc. Since the accent nucleus is on う it should not be devoiced but as う is at the end of the sentence, it kind of should be. While listening to natives speak, I heard both versions. Hence I am bit confused here. Thank you in advance.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

I think you’re right. It can be either devoiced or not👍

@Medivh73 Жыл бұрын

I found a way to remember the first 4 unvoiced consinents - just say ku-so-shi-to. Hope you will find it helpful. Have not come up with mnemonics for remaining ones just yet.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

Well… it doesn’t sound good though…😅 “ku so “ ta has a bad meaning, so ..

@Medivh73 Жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally I'm sorry, it was just bad joke on my part(it did help me memorize it though). すいません先生、失礼しまた。

@thomascrossland Жыл бұрын

名前の発音を教えてくれてありがとうございました！嬉しいです🙂

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

そう言ってもらえてよかったです！😊🙌

@West-for-Whites_NonWhites-Out Жыл бұрын

Can the word Excel in Katakana (EKUSERU) be an of rule 1 and 4 combined? I feel like the last RU can be devoiced sometimes.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

I don't think the last RU is devoiced. A vowel after R isn't devoiced.

@lkj2727 Жыл бұрын

ふみさん, I have a question; Can "devoicing" occur in a row? For example, when pronouncing 「外出する(がいしゅつする)」, しゅ and つ are both "u" sounds, and are both placed in between "unvoiced consonants". In this case, is correct to pronounce it as 「がい-sh-ts-する」? (Roman alphabets represent devoiced sounds) I believe when する is detached(thus only 外出), it should be pronounced 「がい-sh-つ」. So I'm not very sure if I should pronounce 「外出する」as 「がい-sh-つする」or 「がい-sh-ts-する」.

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

Hi, usually, some people say devoicing doesn't occur in a row, but when I say it quickly I say「がい-sh-ts-する」but sometimes I say 「がい-sh-つ-する」 . I think either is fine.

@lkj2727 Жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally なるほど！大変助かりました~ありがとうございます。😃

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

いえいえ、お役に立ててよかったです😊

@lisamariefan 10 ай бұрын

So here's a question regarding devoicing: Are loan words like パスタ or whatever specifically given the ス in the middle to specifically take advantage of devoicing?

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 9 ай бұрын

Whether the word is loan word or not doesn't matter. If the sound after す is an unvoiced consonant, like t in タ, then the ス is devoiced.

@lisamariefan 9 ай бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally I mean, is pasta transliterated with ス vs サ/せ／ソ because ス is the only one that actually gets devoiced, making it sound closer to the loan word it's derived from?

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally 9 ай бұрын

@@lisamariefan I'm not sure whether it's related to devoicing, but as you said, ス is the closest sound for "s" to Japanese people's ears.

@Kha162 Жыл бұрын

At 9:11, why i hear yorosh KO onegaishimas? (It means you link KU and O become to KO) Sometimes when i hearing, i feel like japanese peaople usually link Su and o (of を or just お) become to SO (THEY DO NOT SPEAK "SU O" BUT "SO"). 静岡県(しずおかけんbecome shizokaken) Am I wrong, sensei? I have this confuse in a really long time and not have an answer yet (so sad).

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

As for "yoroshiko," I recorded myself saying "Yoroshikonegaishimasu" and it sounded like "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," as you pointed out, which makes me really surprised. But as for Shizuoka, when I say Shozoka, it sounded like Shizoka, not Shizuoka. I guess the reason is that the former doesn't have a pitch change in "uo," but the latter does. So when I say しずおかけん with けん, then there's no pitch change in "uo" part, thus when I say Shizokaken fast, it sounded like Shizuokaken. Anyway, you're right, "Yoroshikuonegaishimasu" sounds like "yoroshikonegaishimasu" and "shizuokaken" sounds like "shizokaken," when we say them fast. I guess It's because u and o are very close in sound and o is more prominent because o comes after u. We know the word, so we hear "uo" sound there.

@Kha162 Жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Thank you very much, senseiii. Your precious answer help me find a big puzzle piece in my progressing japanese.

@silevol Жыл бұрын

I'm a bit confused right now. In your pitch diagram the accent of ありがとうございます is on が, isn't the accent supposed to be on り in Standard Japanese? Or am I missing something?

@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry, it's a mistake that I haven't noticed. You're right, り is high, and が isn't high. I added the correction to the description of the video. Thank you for letting me know. I'll be more careful.

@silevol Жыл бұрын

@@SpeakJapaneseNaturally Alright, thanks for responding and correcting it! ありがとうございます！

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

Anan let me know how to shape the the ei hair 7:45

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

Let see when we agree to correct 😂. when are you correct 😁.hi

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

Adjustable a a out

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

No one is accusing aloud here Blue diamond 💍💎 Ru

@user-og8gw1jk4i Ай бұрын

I take that ko kka I. Tt