Learn Japanese with Hikaru Lesson 15 Study Notes

Lesson 15: Hiragana Dakuten and Time Duration

Introduction to Japanese Phonetics: Hiragana Dakuten

This section covers the voiced sounds (Dakuten) in Hiragana, specifically for the $G$ and $Z/J$ consonant rows. Dakuten are indicated by two small strokes in the top right of a character.

The G-row (が-row)

• が (ga): The voiced version of か (ka).
• ぎ (gi): The voiced version of き (ki).
• ぐ (gu): The voiced version of く (ku).
• げ (ge): The voiced version of け (ke).
• ご (go): The voiced version of こ (ko).

The Z/J-row (ざ-row)

• ざ (za): The voiced version of さ (sa).
• じ (ji): The voiced version of し (shi). Note: This is romanized as "ji," not "zi."
• ず (zu): The voiced version of す (su).
• ぜ (ze): The voiced version of せ (se).
• ぞ (zo): The voiced version of そ (so).

Vocabulary and Reading Practice

The following words utilize the Hiragana characters learned in the phonetic section:

• りんご (Ringo): Apple.
• いちご (Ichigo): Strawberry.
• ぞう (Zou): Elephant (Note: The long vowel sound is created by suffixing う (u)).
• ねずみ (Nezumi): Mouse or Rat.

Practical and Contextual Vocabulary

These terms are essential for discussing schedules, locations, and entertainment:

• えいが (Eiga): Movies or Cinema.
• かいぎ (Kaigi): Meeting.
• びじゅつかん (Bijutsukan): Art Museum.
• げつようび (Getsuyoubi): Monday.

Telling Time: Hours and Subdivisions

To specify time, the suffix じ (ji) is used for hours, and specific indicators define the period of the day or portions of the hour.

Time Counters and Suffixes

• $1$じ ($1$-ji): $1$ o'clock.
• $3$じ ($3$-ji): $3$ o'clock.
• $12$じ ($12$-ji): $12$ o'clock.

Minutes and Half-Hours

• はん (han): Half; used after the hour suffix to indicate half-past (e.g., $11$じはん is $11:30$).

Periods of the Day

• ごぜん (Gozen): A.M.; refers to the morning.
• ごご (Gogo): P.M.; refers to the afternoon and evening.

Sentence Patterns for Duration: Beginning and End Points

The lesson introduces the specific grammar markers used to describe when an event starts and when it finishes.

The Particle Structure

[Noun/Topic] は [Time 1] から [Time 2] まで です。

• は (wa): The topic marker particle.
• から (kara): Meaning "from"; indicates the starting time or point of origin.
• まで (made): Meaning "until" or "to"; indicates the end time or destination.
• です (desu): The polite copula (to be).

Practical Examples of Time Duration

Example 1: Meeting Schedule

• Sentence: かいぎは ごご $1$じ から $3$じ まで です。
• Translation: Naturally translates to "The meeting is from $1:00$ PM to $3:00$ PM."
• Breakdown:
  • Topic: かいぎ (Meeting)
  • Start: ごご $1$じ (1:00 PM)
  • End: ごご $3$じ (3:00 PM)

Example 2: Language Lesson Duration

• Sentence: にほんごのレッスンは ごぜん $11$じはん から ごご $12$じはん まで です。
• Translation: Naturally translates to "The Japanese lesson is from $11:30$ AM to $12:30$ PM."
• Breakdown:
  • Topic: にほんごのレッスン (Japanese lesson)
  • Start: ごぜん $11$じはん ($11:30$ AM)
  • End: ごご $12$じはん ($12:30$ PM)

Scheduled Events Data

According to specific data points provided in the lesson:

• えいが (Eiga/Movies):
  • Schedule A: $20:00$ to $22:00$.
• かいぎ (Kaigi/Meeting):
  • Schedule B: $15:00$ to $16:00$.
• Retail/Book Sales:
  • Often listed with A.M. to P.M. operating hours and specific discounts such as $50\%$ OFF.

Academic References and Homework

Material Correlation

• The content of this lesson corresponds to: みんなの日本語初級 I L4 後半 (Minna no Nihongo Shokyu I Lesson 4, Latter Half).

Practice Requirements

• Flashcards: Use flashcards with prompts on the front and answers on the back to test recall of Hiragana and time vocabulary.
• Tool: The flashcard activities are powered by Wordwall.