Write for each following Japanese word the reading in kana based on the vocabulary below and respecting the rules for using kanji :
We haven’t seen most of the kanji given in this exercise yet, but it costs nothing to learn them. Write the words in purely Japanese pronunciations in green and the words in Sino-Japanese pronunciations in purple.
Vocabulary :
夏 .
なつ .
カ, ガ, ゲ . the summer
冬 .
ふゆ .
トウ . the winter
秋 .
あき .
シュウ . the autumn
春 .
はる .
シュン . the spring
日 .
ひ .
ニチ, ジツ . the day, the sun
場 .
ば .
ジョウ, チョウ . the place; the period (speaking of a season)
空 .
そら .
クウ . the sky
休み .
やすみ .
キュウ . rest, vacation
虫 .
むし .
チュウ, キ . the insect
雨 .
あめ .
ウ . the rain
季 .
キ . the season
卵 .
たまご .
ラン . the egg
白 .
しろ .
ハク, ビャク . white
In the word 休み, the hiragana み is an okurigana. Remember, I told you about this briefly in the kanji introducing’s course.
Now write the following words and pay attention to the small indications in italics.
夏日 .
なつび .
カジツ.
summer day
(this word can be pronounced in both pure Japanese and Sino-Japanese ; the purely Japanese pronunciation takes a dakuten)
夏場 .
なつば .
summer period
(purely Japanese)
夏空 .
なつぞら .
summer sky
(purely Japanese, dakuten)
夏休み .
なつやすみ .
summer vacation / summer holidays
(purely Japanese)
夏虫 .
なつむし .
summer insect
(purely Japanese)
冬日 .
ふゆび.
winter day
(purely Japanese ; the purely Japanese pronunciation takes a dakuten)
冬場 .
ふゆば .
winter period
(purely Japanese)
冬空 .
ふゆぞら .
winter sky
(purely Japanese, dakuten)
冬休み .
ふゆやすみ .
winter vacation / winter holidays
(purely Japanese)
秋日 .
あきび .
ジュウジツ .
fall day
(this word can be pronounced in both pure Japanese and Sino-Japanese ; the purely Japanese pronunciation takes a dakuten)
秋場 .
あきば .
fall period
(purely Japanese)
秋空 .
あきぞら .
fall sky
(purely Japanese, dakuten)
秋休み .
あきやすみ .
fall vacation / autumn holidays
(purely Japanese)
春日 .
はるび .
シュンジツ .
spring day
(this word can be pronounced in both pure Japanese and Sino-Japanese ; the purely Japanese pronunciation takes a dakuten)
春場 .
はるば .
spring period
(purely Japanese)
春空 .
はるぞら .
spring sky
(purely Japanese, dakuten)
春休み .
はるやすみ .
spring break / spring vacation / spring holidays
(purely Japanese)
夏季 .
カキ .
summer (summer season)
(Sino-Japanese)
冬季 .
トウキ .
winter (winter season)
(Sino-Japanese)
秋季 .
ジュウキ .
autumn (fall season)
(Sino-Japanese)
春季 .
シュンキ .
spring (spring season)
(Sino-Japanese)
雨季 .
ウキ .
the rainy season
(Sino-Japanese)
卵白 .
ランパク .
the egg white
(Sino-Japanese, handakuten)
Remember all these kanji with their purely and Sino-Japanese pronunciations. We will find them later.
Exercice 1