3.1. Double hiraganas for consonants + /y/ + vowels


Double kanas consist of two kanas, but they mean single syllables.
All of the double hiraganas shown here are combinations of a hiragana for a consonant + /i/ and a smaller kind of hiragana of either (ya), (yu), or (yo) (/ya/, /yu/, /yo/).

/ky/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(ki)(small ya)/kya/"kya" English "k" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "a".
(ki)(small yu)/kyu/"kyu" English "k" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "u".
(ki)(small yo)/kyo/"kyo" English "k" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


/gy/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(gi)(small ya)/gya/"gya" English "g" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "a".
(gi)(small yu)/gyu/"gyu" English "g" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "u".
(gi)(small yo)/gyo/"gyo" English "g" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


/sy/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(si)(small ya)/sya/"sha" English "sh" + Japanese "a".
(si)(small yu)/syu/"shu" English "sh" + Japanese "u".
(si)(small yo)/syo/"sho" English "sh" + Japanese "o".


/zy/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(zi)(small ya)/zya/"ja" English "j" + Japanese "a".
(zi)(small yu)/zyu/"ju" English "j" + Japanese "u".
(zi)(small yo)/zyo/"jo" English "j" + Japanese "o".


/ty/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(ti)(small ya)/tya/"cha" English "ch" + Japanese "a".
(ti)(small yu)/tyu/"chu" English "ch" + Japanese "u".
(ti)(small yo)/tyo/"cho" English "ch" + Japanese "o".


/dy/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(di)(small ya)/dya/"ja" English "j" + Japanese "a".
(di)(small yu)/dyu/"ju" English "j" + Japanese "u".
(di)(small yo)/dyo/"jo" English "j" + Japanese "o".


/ny/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(ni)(small ya)/nya/"nya" Spanish "ñ" + Japanese "a".
You can pronounce it as English "ny" + Japanese "a".
(ni)(small yu)/nyu/"nyu" Spanish "ñ" + Japanese "u".
You can pronounce it as English "ny" + Japanese "u".
(ni)(small yo)/nyo/"nyo" Spanish "ñ" + Japanese "o".
You can pronounce it as English "ny" + Japanese "o".


/hy/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(hi)(small ya)/hya/"hya" German "ch" + Japanese "a".
You can pronounce it as English "hy" + Japanese "a".
(hi)(small yu)/hyu/"hyu" German "ch" + Japanese "u".
You can pronounce it as English "hy" + Japanese "u".
(hi)(small yo)/hyo/"hyo" German "ch" + Japanese "o".
You can pronounce it as English "hy" + Japanese "o".


/by/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(bi)(small ya)/bya/"bya" English "b" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".
(bi)(small yu)/byu/"byu" English "b" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".
(bi)(small yo)/byo/"byo" English "b" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


/py/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(pi)(small ya)/pya/"pya" English "p" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".
(pi)(small yu)/pyu/"pyu" English "p" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".
(pi)(small yo)/pyo/"pyo" English "p" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


/my/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(mi)(small ya)/mya/"mya" English "m" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "a".
(mi)(small yu)/myu/"myu" English "m" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "u".
(mi)(small yo)/myo/"myo" English "m" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


/ry/ + vowels:
HiraganaPhonemePronunciationDescription
(ri)(small ya)/rya/"rya" Japanese "r" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "a".
(ri)(small yu)/ryu/"ryu" Japanese "r" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "u".
(ri)(small yo)/ryo/"ryo" Japanese "r" + Japanese "y" + Japanese "o".


Hiragana examples:

Hiragana:(o)(ti)(small ya)
Phonemes:otya
Meaning:green tea (noun)

Tip: Actually this word simply means tea, and tea often means green tea in Japan. If you want to distinguish green tea and European tea, use the word (ri)(small yo)(ku)(ti)(small ya) /ryokutya/ for green tea and the word (ko)(u)(ti)(small ya) /koutya/ for European tea. Other than them, (u)(long)(ro)(n)(ti)(small ya) /uuro'Ntya/ (oolong tea) and (mu)(gi)(ti)(small ya) /mugi'tya/ (wheat tea) are popular. Japanese people never use sugar or milk for any tea but European tea.


Hiragana:(si)(small yo)(u)(yu)
Phonemes:syouyu
Meaning:soy sause (noun)


Hiragana:(gi)(small yu)(u)(ni)(small yu)(u)
Phonemes:gyuunyuu
Meaning:cow's milk (noun)


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