Lesson 2.5:促音(そくおん)Sokuon

In learning about Japan you've undoubtedly come across things and places with a double vowel in their name(One famous example being Hokkaido). How is that rendered in 仮名(Can't read it?), you may ask? With the help of a small つ 仮名, the term for it being 促音. It signifies a brief pause in speech while saying the word(Much like in the English words Poppa or Rabbit)-the technical term being a Germinate Consonant;the more proficient you are at speaking Japanese, the briefer it'll be  Let's take the name for an archetype in most anime-type stories as an example of how it's written:


つんでれっこ


*what a female is named, when they have a tough outer shell, but a tender inner being, closer to when we call a tough looking person a big softie*

It'll sound different depending on what 仮名 follows it(such as in the words 出席《しゅっせき》-the word for attendance-& ばっちり- used to express when something is done right or is right on the money), but the general principle is the same

Mission Statement

Welcome to Fresh Leaves, Pale Fruit! 

My name is Koiyuki, and I'll be here to guide you through the complete Japanese experience. These days people discover their second tongue from near endless ways and methods, including the media that helped to make Japanese such an increasing force in the popular forefront. Throughout this blog I hope to introduce you not only to the different ways the language is used, but also the history of the people behind it, both in Japan and around the world (Japanese culture has had quite a presence in the US, Brazil, Germany, among many other countries). In teaching these things, it is my aim to make it as simple and relatable as possible, so you not only learn it, but learn to apply it to your everyday life(including the cultural information many books often neglect to teach in a manner people can grasp outside the class setting, like reading context). I hope to see you come along with me as I explore the language and culture of both the land, and the people of the rising sun. 


PS, the title of this blog in Japanese is 青葉や青い果物(aoba ya aoi kabutsu).
If you can't see the characters, 
the installation portion is covered here.