Welcome to Japanese Nepali Laboratory
Thank you for using jpnplab.com Japanese Nepali laboratory "Exploring Japanese Language and Culture" is a website for learning the Japanese language and culture necessary for daily life in Japan. Learn anytime, anywhere, at your own pace. Let's get started!
Index
Introduction to Japanese Language
Introduction to Japanese Kanji
Introduction to Japanese Hiragana
Introduction to Japanese Katakana
Introduction to Japanese Onomatopoeia
Introduction to Japanese Pronunciation
Introduction to Japanese Grammar
Japanese accent refers to specific points of pitch ↑↓ in a word. Japanese word has many homophones and in conversation, listener distinguish between these homophones by word accent.
For example, in written language Japanese distinguish between 花 (हाना / फूल) and 鼻 (हाना / नाक) using Kanji, in conversation it's unclear which "हाना" is meant. Therefore, Japanese words add accents to distinguish between words.
Japanese has various accents depending on region, however here is explain using the Tokyo accent as an example.
This Tokyo accent is standard accent for Japanese, characterized by a definite change in pitch between the first and second syllables.
Accent points are explained using two types of high and low pitch. Only high and low can be a hard to image, so in here add Nepal's "Sargam" scale for reference.
Sargam is a classical music scale widely used in Nepal and India and other. In Japan, it is known as दो रे मि फा सो रा सि in English countries it is known as CDEFGAB scale. In here, using Sargam "सा (Sa) ग (Ga)" of the सा (Sa) रे (Re) ग (Ga) म (Ma) प (Pa) ध (Dha) नि (Ni) to indicate high and low pitch.
eg：花 (हाना / फूल) L H / सा ग
：鼻 (हाना / नाक) H L / ग सा
Japanese word must distinguish between flowers and noses on such subtle differences, It takes practice for your ears to get used to accent. It not need to memorize of every word. Just only remember that there are differences accent.
Accents are divided into three types. And, there are four types of accents where a particle attached. First, learn the three basic types and get used to differences in accent. Then used to it, move on to the word + particle accent. Using vocabulary from Minna no Nihongo, this explain several accents.
アクセント（आकुसेन्तो）rising accent
椅子（इसू / कुर्सी）L H / सा ग
鞄（काबान् / झोला）L H H / सा ग ग
テーブル（ते-बुरू / टेबल）L H H / सा ग ग
自転車（जितेन्स्या / साइकल）L H H H / सा ग ग ग
The "rising accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and after all syllables high. Furthermore, once an accent rises it never falls.
アクセント（आकुसेन्तो）dropping accent
雨（आमे / वर्षा）H L / ग सा
電気（देन्की / बिजुली）H L L / ग सा सा
料理（र्योउरी / परिकार）H L L / ग सा सा
シャンプー（स्याम्पू- / स्याम्पु）H L L / ग सा सा
The "dropping accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable high, and after all syllables low.
This blue underline is "accent nucleus" The accent nucleus is syllable immediately preceding point where pitch drops abruptly, this point of sudden descent serves as a crucial element in distinguishing word meanings.
※notice "र्यो"-री and "स्या"म्पू- is two characters, but as it is a यो-ओन् (also know as combination small ゃ ゅ ょ) it is two characters one sound.
アクセント（आकुसेन्तो）pahar accent
卵（तामागो / अण्डा）L H L / सा ग सा
手袋（तेबुकुरो / पन्जा）L H L L / सा ग सा सा
洗濯機（सेन्ताकुकी / वासिङ मेसिन）L H H H L / सा ग ग ग सा
サンドイッチ（सान्दोइच्ची / स्यान्डविच）L H H H L / सा ग ग ग सा
The "pahar accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and second syllables high, and once more low like a shape of mountain. Blue underline falling from high to low represent "accent nucleus" so pronounce them with conscious attention.
アクセント＋助詞（आकुसेन्तो＋ज्योसी）
rising accent + particle
風が（काज़ेगा / हावा नै）L H H / सा ग ग
お茶が（ओच्यागा / चिया नै）L H H / सा ग ग
学校が（गाक्कोउगा / विद्यालय नै）L H H H / सा ग ग ग
ボールペンが（बो-रुपेन्गा / कलम नै）L H H H H / सा ग ग ग ग
"rising accent + particle use" is conjugated rising accent type. Only the first syllable low, and after all syllables high.
アクセント＋助詞（आकुसेन्तो＋ज्योसी）
ankush accent + particle
目が（मेगा / आँखा नै）H L / ग सा
花が（हानागा / फूल नै）L H L / सा ग सा
頭が（आतामागा / टाउको नै）L H H L / सा ग ग सा
妹が（इमोउतोगा / बहिनी नै）L H H H L / सा ग ग ग सा
"ankush accent + particle use" is like rising accent. Only the first syllable low, and second third high, but final particle syllable drops suddenly.
※notice conjugated forms of particles use in rising accent, as final syllable will be high or low.
アクセント＋助詞（आकुसेन्तो＋ज्योसी）
dropping accent + particle
喉が（नोदोगा / गला नै）H L L / ग सा सा
みかんが（मिकाङ्गा / सुन्तला नै）H L L L / ग सा सा सा
スイッチが（सुइच्चिगा / स्वीच नै）H L L L / ग सा सा सा
ネックレスが（नेक्कुरेसुगा / माला नै）H L L L L / ग सा स सा सा
"dropping accent + particle use" type is pronounced with only the first syllable high, and after all syllables low.
※notice सुइच्ची can be different pronounced with accent depending on region like "H H L / ग ग सा" but both pronunciations are correct.
アクセント＋助詞（आकुसेन्तो＋ज्योसी）
pahar accent + particle
砂糖が（सातोउगा / चिनी नै）L H L L / सा ग सा सा
果物が（कुदामोनोगा / फलफूल नै）L H L L L / सा ग सा सा सा
パスポートが（पासुपो-तोगा / राहदानी नै）L H H L L / सा ग ग सा सा
"pahar accent + particle use" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and second syllables high, and once more low. The falling part from high to low is accent's peak point, so pronounce it with a little bit strong. Continuing on pronunciation, let's move forward to Japanese nasal sounds
rising accent
椅子 (इसू / कुर्सी) सा ग
鞄 (काबान् / झोला) सा ग ग
テーブル (ते-बुरू / टेबल) सा ग ग
自転車 (जितेन्स्या / साइकल) सा ग ग ग
"rising accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and after all syllables high. Furthermore, once an accent rises it never falls.
dropping accent
雨 (आमे / वर्षा) ग सा
電気 (देन्की / बिजुली) ग सा सा
料理 (र्योउरी / परिकार) ग सा सा
シャンプー (स्याम्पू- / स्याम्पु) ग सा सा
"dropping accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable high, and after all syllables low.
This blue underline is "accent nucleus" The accent nucleus is syllable immediately preceding point where pitch drops abruptly, this point of sudden descent serves as a crucial element in distinguishing word meanings.
※notice "र्यो"उरी and "स्या"म्पू- is two characters, but as it is a यो-ओन् (also know as combination small ゃ ゅ ょ) it is two characters one sound.
pahar accent
卵(तामागो / अण्डा) सा ग सा
手袋(तेबुकुरो / पन्जा) सा ग सा सा
洗濯機(सेन्ताकुकी / वासिङ मेसिन) सा ग ग ग सा
サンドイッチ (सान्दोइच्ची / स्यान्डविच) सा ग ग सा सा
"pahar accent" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and second syllables high, and once more low like a shape of mountain. Blue underline falling from high to low represent "accent nucleus" so pronounce them with conscious attention.
rising accent + particle
風が (काज़ेगा / हावा नै) सा ग ग
お茶が (ओच्यागा / चिया नै) सा ग ग
学校が (गाक्कोउगा / विद्यालय नै) सा ग ग ग
ボールペンが (बो-रुपेन्गा / कलम नै) सा ग ग ग ग
"rising accent + particle use" is conjugated rising accent type. Only the first syllable low, and after all syllables high.
ankush accent + particle
目が (मेगा / आँखा नै) ग सा
花が (हानागा / फूल नै) सा ग सा
頭が (आतामागा / टाउको नै) सा ग ग सा
妹が (इमोउतोगा / बहिनी नै) सा ग ग ग सा
"ankush accent + particle use" is like rising accent. Only the first syllable low, and second third high, but final particle syllable drops suddenly. ※notice conjugated forms of particles use in rising accent, as final syllable will be high or low.
dropping accent + particle
喉が (नोदोगा / गला नै) ग सा सा
みかんが (मिकाङ्गा / सुन्तला नै) ग सा सा सा
スイッチが (सुइच्चिगा / स्वीच नै) ग सा सा सा
ネックレスが (नेक्कुरेसुगा / माला नै) ग सा स सा सा
"dropping accent + particle use" type is pronounced with only the first syllable high, and after all syllables low.
※notice सुइच्ची can be different pronounced with accent depending on region like "H H L / ग ग सा" but both pronunciations are correct.
pahar accent + particle
砂糖が (सातोउगा / चिनी नै) सा ग सा सा
果物が (कुदामोनोगा / फलफूल नै) सा ग सा सा सा
パスポートが(पासुपो-तोगा / राहदानी नै) सा ग ग सा सा
"pahar accent + particle use" type is pronounced with only the first syllable low, and second syllables high, and once more low. The falling part from high to low is accent's peak point, so pronounce it with a little bit strong. Continuing on pronunciation, let's move forward to Japanese nasal sounds
Next, Introduction to Grammar
TOP > CLASSROOM > PRONUNCIATION
