Japanese Hiragana Words with Long Vowels289

In the Japanese language, vowels can be short or long. Short vowels are pronounced quickly, while long vowels are held for a longer period of time. In the hiragana syllabary, long vowels are represented by adding a small っ (tsu) after the vowel character. This is known as a long vowel mark or chōonpu.

There are five basic vowels in Japanese: a, i, u, e, and o. Each of these vowels can be made long by adding a っ. The resulting long vowels are: ā, ī, ū, ē, and ō.

Long vowels can change the meaning of a word. For example, the word "ka" (か) means "mosquito," while the word "kā" (かあ) means "mother." Similarly, the word "ki" (き) means "tree," while the word "kī" (きい) means "to hear."

Long vowels are also used in Japanese to indicate emphasis. For example, the word "a" (あ) can be pronounced as either a short or a long vowel. When pronounced as a long vowel, the word "a" is used to emphasize the following word.

Here are some examples of Japanese words with long vowels:
かあ (kā) - mother
きい (kī) - to hear
ふう (fū) - wind
せえ (sē) - height
とお (tō) - far

Long vowels are an important part of the Japanese language. They can change the meaning of a word or indicate emphasis. When learning Japanese, it is important to pay attention to the pronunciation of vowels and to practice using long vowels correctly.

Additional Information

In addition to the five basic vowels, there are also two diphthongs in Japanese: ai and oi. Diphthongs are sounds that consist of two vowels that are pronounced together as a single syllable. In hiragana, diphthongs are represented by the characters あい (ai) and おい (oi).

Diphthongs can also be made long by adding a っ. The resulting long diphthongs are: āi and ōi.

Here are some examples of Japanese words with long diphthongs:
かい (kāi) - shell
こい (kōi) - love

Long diphthongs are less common than long vowels, but they are still an important part of the Japanese language.

2025-01-25

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