When it comes to "su"

[Yoruichi Shihouin]

I've notice in Japanese when it comes to the hiragana "su" you really don't hear the "u" part in it pronounced.

For example:

Desu is just pronounced "dess"

When it comes to some names I've heard in anime, like Kisuke, Sosuke, and Sasuke, you really
don't hear the "u" in there.

So, what's up with that?

[Khorne]

It's a letter you barely say, it happens in all languages I guess. the U vowel often is mute in japanese in many words (suki -> ski, shufu -> shfu,...), and sometimes the I too (written -> hajimemashite, said -> hajimemashte).

It's just to learn how to pronounce things I guess, at least japanese doesn't eat half the words like french does

[Yoruichi Shihouin]

Oh ok thanks ^__^!!

Another thing I've noticed in Japanese is that there are a lot of words that are spelled the same and pronounced the same. But I guess the meaning changes depending on what Kanji you use.

[Khorne]

Indeed - I already have to start learning kanji, but from what I could observe there are words that are pronounced at the same way but written differently ("chivalry" and "mermaid" springs to mind, from Seto no Hanayome).

You may thing about that as a word with two meaning, that every language has. In italian, just to say an example, the word "coda" means "tail" but "queue" too, and there is no way for someone that doesn't know the contest where the word is said.

[Yuki~]

Yes. Reading texts with kanji is soo much easier to understand the meaning of the text.
(although they are a little complicated XDD)

Another example is the verb "kaimasu" (to buy/ to raise [a pet])

[Dreams]

A note on the silent U - firstly, it depends on the speaker and the rapidity of their speech. I've heard both "des" and a polite "de-su" spoken slowly, where "SU" is clearly pronounced. But I also want to point out that it's usually only when a U is paired with an S, or if it's the last syllable in the word, that it becomes "silent". In addition, the I in Japanese can also sound "whispered", usually when paired with the sounds SH, H, K, or P. (Ex. "shikata" can sound like "sh'kata".)

As for the words that sound the same but have different meanings... there aren't as many as there seem to be at first. :) Any good dictionary will give you multiple meanings for Japanese words, or kanji, but the truth is that most are antequated or not as popular as other meanings. Since Rin brought up "kau" (kaimasu) as an example, "kau" generally means "to buy". If you wanted to say "to raise (a pet, a child, etc)", you'd use "sodatsu". Although it's good to know all the things a kanji could mean, it's best to focus on the most popular readings... and the only way you start to know what's used more often is by...

practice,
practice,
practice.

[erogeshounen]

それで結構大変ですぅーーね。

[Yoruichi Shihouin]

A note on the silent U - firstly, it depends on the speaker and the rapidity of their speech. I've heard both "des" and a polite "de-su" spoken slowly, where "SU" is clearly pronounced. But I also want to point out that it's usually only when a U is paired with an S, or if it's the last syllable in the word, that it becomes "silent". In addition, the I in Japanese can also sound "whispered", usually when paired with the sounds SH, H, K, or P. (Ex. "shikata" can sound like "sh'kata".)

As for the words that sound the same but have different meanings... there aren't as many as there seem to be at first. Any good dictionary will give you multiple meanings for Japanese words, or kanji, but the truth is that most are antequated or not as popular as other meanings. Since Rin brought up "kau" (kaimasu) as an example, "kau" generally means "to buy". If you wanted to say "to raise (a pet, a child, etc)", you'd use "sodatsu". Although it's good to know all the things a kanji could mean, it's best to focus on the most popular readings... and the only way you start to know what's used more often is by...

practice,
practice,
practice.

Arigatou!!!!

For clairifying ( I hoped I spelled that eight ) it!!

[Yoruichi Shihouin]

それで結構大変ですぅーーね。

Say what???

[Yuki~]

それで結構大変ですぅーーね。

Say what???

"sore de 結構 taihen desu ne"

I don't know how to read 結構. XDD

[Dreams]

それで結構大変ですぅーーね。

"And it's quite a chore, isn't it?"

結構大変 = kekkou taihen = not so easy, a chore, hard, tough, etc.
ですぅーー = notice the super elongated U at the end of 'desu'. Ahahaha.

I'm sad eroge left...

[Yuki~]

Is it correct to write a super elongated U at the end of 'desu'?

I could read the first part of 結構... but I didn't know what was the other part! XD

By the way, I've passed 3 kyuu on Noryokushiken!! It means that this year I am doing 2 kyuu exam! o____o XDD

[Dreams]

Congraturation!

lmao... you can elongate anything you want in Japanese for emphasis... or goofiness. He just did it because this thread is about the 'u' sounding silent sometimes, especially at the end of 'desu'.

[Yuki~]

Congraturation!

lmao... you can elongate anything you want in Japanese for emphasis... or goofiness. He just did it because this thread is about the 'u' sounding silent sometimes, especially at the end of 'desu'.

Thanks!! I think I'm the only one who passed on 3 kyuu.. I'm happy about this but I wish my friends had passed too.

Well, I just thought that was too much elongated!