Rōmaji

Introduction of Japanese Rōmaji character

 

About Rōmaji

Rōmaji (ローマ字) was developed to describe the sound of Japanese in Roman alphabet.

Rōmaji is mainly used for the convenience of foreigners who are not familiar with Japanese characters.

For example, names of train stations are shown in both Rōmaji (Roman alphabet) and Japanese characters.

 

Rōmaji Spelling

There are different romanization systems suitable for different purposes.

In this website, we adopt the Hepburn-Based Romanization System recommended by the Department of English Language, The University of Tokyo (*1).

We believe this is the most complete and suitable system for the Japanese language education.

The following tables show the Rōmaji spelling of Kana letters (Hiragana and Katakana).

Irregular spellings are colored in red.

Gojūon

  ア段
a column
イ段
i column
ウ段
u column
エ段
e column
オ段
o column
ア行
a row
あ ア い イ う ウ え エ お オ
a i u e o
カ行
ka row
か カ き キ く ク け ケ こ コ
ka ki ku ke ko
サ行
sa row
さ サ し シ す ス せ セ そ ソ
sa shi su se so
タ行
ta row
た タ ち チ つ ツ て テ と ト
ta chi tsu te to
ナ行
na row
な ナ に ニ ぬ ヌ ね ネ の ノ
na ni nu ne no
ハ行
ha row
は ハ ひ ヒ ふ フ へ ヘ ほ ホ
ha hi fu he ho
マ行
ma row
ま マ み ミ む ム め メ も モ
ma mi mu me mo
ヤ行
ya row
や ヤ   ゆ ユ   よ ヨ
ya   yu   yo
ラ行
ra row
ら ラ り リ る ル れ レ ろ ロ
ra ri ru re ro
ワ行
wa row
わ ワ       を ヲ
wa       o
ん ン
n or n'

n' is used when ん comes before a vowel or y

Hiragana はんこ はんい しんぐ しんや
Rōmaji hanko han'i shingu shin'ya

The purpose of the apostrophe is to distinguish はんい (han'i) and はに (hani), しんや (shin'ya) and しにゃ (shinya).

Dakuon

  ア段
a column
イ段
i column
ウ段
u column
エ段
e column
オ段
o column
ガ行
ga row
が ガ ぎ ギ ぐ グ げ ゲ ご ゴ
ga gi gu ge go
ザ行
za row
ざ ザ じ ジ ず ズ ぜ ゼ ぞ ゾ
za ji zu ze zo
ダ行
da row
だ ダ ぢ ヂ づ ヅ で デ ど ド
da ji zu de do
バ行
ba row
ば バ び ビ ぶ ブ べ ベ ぼ ボ
ba bi bu be bo

Handakuon

  ア段
a column
イ段
i column
ウ段
u column
エ段
e column
オ段
o column
パ行
pa row
ぱ パ ぴ ピ ぷ プ ぺ ペ ぽ ポ
pa pi pu pe po

Yōon

カ行
ka row
きゃ キャ きゅ キュ きょ キョ
kya kyu kyo
サ行
sa row
しゃ シャ しゅ シュ しょ ショ
sha shu sho
タ行
ta row
ちゃ チャ ちゅ チュ ちょ チョ
cha chu cho
ナ行
na row
にゃ ニャ にゅ ニュ にょ ニョ
nya nyu nyo
ハ行
ha row
ひゃ ヒャ ひゅ ヒュ ひょ ヒョ
hya hyu hyo
マ行
ma row
みゃ ミャ みゅ ミュ みょ ミョ
mya myu myo
ラ行
ra row
りゃ リャ りゅ リュ りょ リョ
rya ryu ryo
ガ行
ga row
ぎゃ ギャ ぎゅ ギュ ぎょ ョ
gya gyu gyo
ザ行
za row
じゃ ジャ じゅ ジュ じょ ジョ
ja ju jo
ダ行
da row
ぢゃ ヂャ ぢゅ ヂュ ぢょ ヂョ
ja ju jo
バ行
ba row
びゃ ビャ びゅ ビュ びょ ビョ
bya byu byo
パ行
pa row
ぴゃ ピャ ぴゅ ピュ ぴょ ピョ
pya pyu pyo

Sokuon

っ ッ

Make the following consonant letter double.

さっき sakki  きっぷ kippu  ベッド beddo  ロック rokku

Long Vowels

long a long i long u long e long o
ā ī ū ē or ei ō

How to Read Rōmaji

Basically, you can read Rōmaji as you usually read English texts. But the pronunciation of Japanese syllables is not exactly the same as English.

To master the correct pronunciation, try to imitate the pronunciation of native Japanese speakers.

Basic Rules

Each syllable (each Hiragana and Katakana letter) is pronounced for the same length. For example, when you say the word [aka] in 1 second, it takes 0.5 second for [a] and another 0.5 second for [ka]. You don't have to be this precise, but it is important to keep it mind.

Letters with a bar on top - ā, ū, ē and ō are long vowels and the length should be double of the standard vowels.

[f] sound: Create the sound with pursed lips (like whistling).

[r] sound: Tip of your tongue is rolled back for English [r], and is placed behind the upper teeth for English [l]. For Japanese [r], the position is between these two. The sound is more closer to English [l].

[n] sound: It is considered to be one syllable, and the length should be the same as other syllables.

You can learn and practice the pronunciation at Hiragana Course.

References

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