Description of the Japanese Pronunciation さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ
さ・す・せ・そ and ざ・ず・ぜ・ぞ consist of the Japanese consonants [s] and [z], together with the Japanese vowels, [a], [u], [e] and [o] respectively. When you pronounce [s] and [z], you are going to make a chink between your upper gums and the tip of your tongue. Then, you will pronounce them by causing friction as the air passes through the chink. [s] is an unvoiced sound and [z] is a voiced sound.
Does it make sense to you? Let’s try to pronounce さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ after the tutor on the video!
Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [s] [z] さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ
Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.
| Words | Roman Letters | Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| 咲く | sa ku | to bloom |
| さむい | sa mu i | cold |
| はいざら | ha i za ra | ashtray |
| すこし | su ko shi | a little |
| すわる | su wa ru | to sit down |
| みず | mi zu | water |
| せんせい | se n se i | teacher |
| 風 | ka ze | wind |
| そこ | so ko | there |
| かぞく | ka zo ku | family |
Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [s] [z] さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ
Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.
| Japanese Sentences | English Translations |
|---|---|
| そこに座ります。 | I will sit down there. |
| 先月は少し寒かった。 | It was a little cold last month. |
| 桜が咲いた。 | The cherry blossoms bloomed. |
[adsense]
Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [s] [z] さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ
Please repeat the following tongue twisters after the tutor on the video. Also, please focus on the pronunciation practice, not the meaning, because they were made only for the sake of practice.
| Japanese Tongue Twisters | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
|
すっぱいスイカは好きずきだろうさ、すっぱいスイカは好きずきだろうさ。 |
すっぱい: sour, スイカ: watermelon, 好きずき: matter of taste |
|
静かで涼しい空が僧をそぞろにさせる。 |
静か: calm, 涼しい: cool, 空: sky, 僧: priest |
|
禅宗の坊主が全然座禅を上手に組めない。 |
禅宗: school of Mahayana Buddhism, 坊主: Buddhist priest, 全然: (not) at all, 座禅: meditation in Zen Buddhism |
Conclusion
This is the how to pronounce [s] [z] さ す せ そ、ざ ず ぜ ぞ. We recommend that you practice the sentences above at least 5 times for each exercise, though we understand that pronunciation practice can be dull. Good pronunciation will give you listening and speaking ability, and thereby you will be confident enough to speak Japanese with native speakers. Thus, the ability you gain is well worth the time spent. We are looking forward to seeing you in the next lesson; [ɕ] [ʑ] し、じ.
Recommended Links
How to Proceed with Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons
Japanese Lessons: Learn Japanese Native Expressions with Manga 1-2-1
Japanese Consonants: How to Pronounce し、じ
