Japanese Compound Word Pronunciation in Chinese81

Japanese and Chinese are two East Asian languages with a long history of interaction. As a result, there are many Japanese words that have been borrowed into Chinese. These words are often called "Sino-Japanese" words. When Sino-Japanese words are pronounced in Chinese, they typically follow the rules of Chinese pronunciation. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

One of the most common exceptions is that Japanese compound words are often pronounced in Chinese as if they were two separate words. For example, the Japanese word "nihongo" (Japanese language) is pronounced in Chinese as "ri ben yu" (ri = Japan, ben = language). This is because the Chinese characters for "ri" and "ben" are pronounced differently when they are used as separate words.

Another exception to the rule is that Japanese words that have been borrowed into Chinese may have different tones than the original Japanese words. For example, the Japanese word "sakura" (cherry blossom) is pronounced in Chinese as "ying hua" (ying = shadow, hua = flower). The Chinese word "ying" is pronounced with a first tone, while the Japanese word "sakura" is pronounced with a second tone.

There are also some Japanese compound words that have been borrowed into Chinese but are pronounced in a way that is completely different from the original Japanese pronunciation. For example, the Japanese word "sushi" is pronounced in Chinese as "sushi" (su = vinegar, shi = rice). This pronunciation is likely due to the fact that sushi was originally introduced to China by Japanese immigrants.

The pronunciation of Japanese compound words in Chinese can be a bit tricky, but with a little practice, it is possible to master this skill. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Break the Japanese compound word down into its individual characters.
Look up the pronunciation of each character in a Chinese dictionary.
Put the pronunciations of the individual characters together to form the pronunciation of the compound word.

With a little practice, you will be able to pronounce Japanese compound words in Chinese with confidence.## Here are some additional examples of Japanese compound words and their pronunciation in Chinese:
| Japanese word | Chinese pronunciation |
|---|---|
| nihongo | ri ben yu |
| sakura | ying hua |
| sushi | sushi |
| tempura | tian pu la |
| karaoke | ka la OK |
| manga | man hua |
| anime | dong man |
| origami | zhe zhi |
| haiku | hai ku |

2025-01-04

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