Learn Japanese - Katakana Lesson 2: Han/Dakuten Syllables
Objective: Learn to read & write katakana handakuten and dakuten syllables
Dakuten Marker ゛
Adding a dakuten marker (゛) changes the sound of some Japanese consonants.
Below are the characters that can be modified with a dakuten.
K to G
When dakuten markers are added, "k" sound becomes "g" sound.
| ガ= ga | ギ= gi | グ= gu | ゲ= ge | ゴ= go |
S to Z
When dakuten markers are added, "s" sound becomes "z" sound.
| ザ= za | ジ= ji | ズ= zu | ゼ= ze | ゾ= zo |
T to D
When dakuten markers are added, "t" sound becomes "d" sound.
| ダ= da | ヂ= ji* | ヅ= zu* | デ= de | ド= do |
H to B
When dakuten markers are added, "h" sound becomes "b" sound.
| バ= ba | ビ= bi | ブ= bu | ベ= be | ボ= bo |
Handakuten Marker ゜
Only katakana beginning with the letter h can be modified with the handakuten marker (゜), changing the sound of "h" to "p".
H to P
When dakuten markers are added, "h" sound becomes "p" sound.
| パ= pa | ピ= pi | プ= pu | ペ= pe | ポ= po |
Recommended Resources
Let's Learn Katakana: Second Book of Basic Japanese Writing
This book will help you learn how to write katakana so well that people will believe you grew-up in Tokyo.
Kana Pict-o-Graphix: Mnemonics for Japanese Hiragana and Katakana
Memorize katakana in no time with the use of pict-o-graphix in this book.
Easy Kana Workbook: Basic Practice in Hiragana and Katakana for Japanese Language Students
The exercises in this book will give you a great hiragana workout.
Japanese Katakana for Beginners: First Steps to Mastering the Japanese Writing System (Tuttle Language Library)
Helps you develop a real mastery of katakana and Japanese writing.
Kodansha's Katakana Workbook: A Step-by-Step Approach to Basic Japanese Writing
An excellent resource to help you master writing katakana.