This book will give you tips on how Japanese sentences are formed. One will read and learn how to form sentences correctly. And how to use proper Japanese grammar.
A vowel is a sound you can make using your mouth without blocking any sounds. In Japanese, there are vowels similar to the English language. But they are pronounced differently. Here are the vowels you will need to know.
あ ＝ A
え ＝ E
い ＝ I (i)
お ＝ O
う ＝ U
Each vowel has its own pronunciation. For example, あ sounds like "father", え sounds like "men", い sounds like "bee", お sounds like "oat", and う sounds like "mood". You want to pronounce your vowels correctly or else you will make many errors when speaking in Japanese.
While reading Japanese text in romaji, there will be a line above some of the vowels in the word you're trying to pronounce. This line above the letter is called a "macron (mae-kron)". This means the pronunciation of that vowel is lengthened (extended vowel).
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Pronouncing a vowel too short or too long will make what you're trying to say sound incorrect. Or, it will make your sentence "unintelligible" to the person you are speaking to. Make sure you practice pronouncing a word before using it in a vocal sentence.
Sometimes, the う and い are not pronounced. This tends to occur while using voiceless constants (without a sound from the vocal cord). Examples of these constants are "p, t, k, ch, f, h, s, and sh".
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Example: すき焼き・すきやき is pronounced "skee-yah-kee" not "soo-kee-yah-kee". Try saying this word in different speeds. Once at a normal speaking level and then accelerate it as you get used to its pronunciation.
すき焼き is a notorious dish in Japan. It is meat, cooked alongside vegetables and other ingredients. It has a lot of nutrition and protein so it's very good for you.
