In the Part 1, we discussed about the basic katakana table.


　ア(a)　イ(i)　ウ(u)　エ(e)　オ(o)

　カ(ka)　キ(ki)　ク(ku)　ケ(ke)　コ(ko)

　サ(sa)　シ(shi)　ス(su)　セ(se)　ソ(so)

　タ(ta)　チ(chi)　ツ(tsu)　テ(te)　ト(to)

　ナ(na)　ニ(ni)　ヌ(nu)　ネ(ne)　ノ(no)

　ハ(ha)　ヒ(hi)　フ(fu)　ヘ(he)　ホ(ho)

　マ(ma)　ミ(mi)　ム(mu)　メ(me)　モ(mo)

　ヤ(ya)　　　　　ユ(yu)　　　　　ヨ(yo)

　ラ(ra)　リ(ri)　ル(ru)　レ(re)　ロ(ro)

　ワ(wa)　　　　　　　　　　　　　ヲ(wo)

And in the Part 2, we discussed about the additional table with Dakuten (濁点, cloudy tone mark).

　ガ(ga)　ギ(gi)　グ(gu)　ゲ(ge)　ゴ(go)

　ザ(za)　ジ(ji)　ズ(zu)　ゼ(ze)　ゾ(zo)

　ダ(da)　ヂ(ji)　ヅ(zu)　デ(de)　ド(do)

　バ(ba)　ビ(bi)　ブ(bu)　ベ(be)　ボ(bo)

And in the Part 3, we discussed about the additional table with Han-Dakuten (半濁点, half-cloudy tone mark).

　パ(pa)　ピ(pi)　プ(pu)　ペ(pe)　ポ(po)

And in the Part 4, we discussed about the prolonged mark (長音記号).

　ー(the pronunciation differs depending on which letter exists just before the mark)

And in the Part 5, we discussed about the ン, the n note of the word such as trans.

　ン(nn)

And in the Part 6, we discussed about the ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, and ォ.
These are the small forms of アイウエオ.

　ァ(xa), ィ(xi), ゥ(xu), ェ(xe), ォ(xo),

Following the table above, you can spell following words in Japanese.

English words Japanese pronunciation Katakana

Christopher Kurisutofa- クリストファー

Tea Spoon Ti- Spu-n ティー・スプーン

Today, let's discuss about other "small" Japanese characters, ャ, ュ, and ョ.

These are small variants of Katakanas ヤ(ya), ユ(yu), ヨ.

Like ァィゥェォ, those "small" characters are to simulate some Western pronunciations.

For example, let's think how you pronounce the word "candle".
How would you write it with Katakana?

カンドル is not correct.
This katakana describes the pronunciation KANDORU.

キヤンドル is not appropriate too.
This katakana describes the pronunciation KIYANDORU.

So we use small ャ to write this:
キャンドル
This kanakana describes the pronunciation Kyandoru.
This is the nearest Katakana description to simulate the word candle.

The word shoes is described as シューズ in Katakana.
(Japanese pronunciation is SHU-ZU)

The word Chocolate is desctibed as チョコレート.
(Japanese pronunciation CHOKORE-TO)
(ツナイト is not appropriate. The pronunciation of the Katakana is Tsunaito.)

There is another small letter ッ, the small version of ツ.
Let's discuss about it together the next time.
(Two weeks lator.)
Bye for now!