N5Lesson 7 of 436 min
Length: long vowels and っ
In Japanese, holding a sound longer gives you a different word, so length is worth getting right early.
Length carries meaning. おばさん is "aunt" and おばあさん is "grandmother". The only difference is holding the あ for one extra beat. Get this wrong and you have not made an accent mistake, you have said a different word.
Long vowels
You write one by adding a vowel kana. Hold the sound for two beats instead of one.
| Short | Meaning | Long | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| おばさん | aunt | おばあさん | grandmother |
| おじさん | uncle | おじいさん | grandfather |
| ゆき (यु-कि) | snow | ゆうき (यू-कि) | courage |
| ここ | here | こうこう | high school |
っ: the small tsu
A small っ doubles the following consonant and takes a full beat of silence. Your mouth gets into position and pauses before releasing.
- きて कितेcome (て form)
- きって कित्तेpostage stamp: one held beat
- がっこう गाक्कोउschool
- ざっし ज़ाश्शिmagazine