Transcription of the Japanese language in Esperanto

This article explains the transcription of the Japanese language in the Esperanto alphabet. Esperantists often use non-Esperanto transcriptions, such as Hepburn and Kunrei. However, the need for a transcription in the Esperanto alphabet is essential for non-Japanese speaking Esperantists to be able to pronounce words.

## Contents

* 1 Summary
* 2 Transcription
* 2.1 Double consonant
* 2.2 Long vowels
* 2.3 Diphthongs
* 2.4 Consonants
* 2.5 Voiceless vowels
* 3 See also
* 4 External links
* 5 References

## Summary

There are two well-known transcription systems of Japanese in Latin alphabet: Hepburn and Kunrei. However, there is no official Esperanto transcription for Japanese. This page presents one of the unofficial methods of transcription.

## Transcription

Most books on Esperanto published in Japan provide tables for transcription. In 2012, a book by Kenichi Fujimaki, called Marugoto-esuperanto-bunpō-kaichōban まるごとエスペラント文法 改訂版 (lit. Revised Esperanto Grammar).[1] explains one way of transcription, however, as far as 1923, Yoshimi Ishiguro writes his Shotō esuperanto kyōkasho 初等エスペラント教科書 (lit. Beginning Esperanto Textbook),[2] explaining a transcription, however the remaining digital copies of his works are barely readable, so they are not included in this article.

### Double consonant

The symbol "っ" / "ッ" (small "つ" [tsu]) is not actually transcribed, but instead, indicated by doubling the following consonant. Example: Sapporo (さっぽろ).

According to Hepburn:

* c → tc (ts → tts)
* ĉ → tĉ (ch → tch)
* ŝ → sŝ (sh → ssh)

According to Kunrei:

* c → cc (t → tt)
* ĉ → ĉĉ (ty → tty)
* ŝ → ŝŝ (sy → ssy)

### Long vowels

These are various methods of transcribing the word とうきょう (Tokyo)

* Tōkjō : Indicated by a macron.
* Tokjo : No indication.
* Tôkjô : Indicated by a Circumflex.
* Toukjou or Toŭkjoŭ: Indicated by the use of an ou for a long o sound, and a ŭ for a long u sound.
* Tookjoo: Indicated by doubling the vowels.

### Diphthongs

The Japanese vowel i is changed to j and the vowel u is changed to ŭ for Esperanto transcription.

* ai → aj
* ei → ej
* oi → oj
* ui → uj
* au → aŭ
* eu → eŭ
* ou → oŭ
* ue → ŭe

### Consonants

If there is a じ (ji) before an ん (n) in a word, you must write it as ĝi. Otherwise, you can use either ĵi or ĝi.

* "Ĝiŝin" (じしん, earthquakes)
* "Buridĝi" (ブリッジ, Contract bridge)
* "Kanĝi" (かんじ, kanji)
* "Fuĵi-san" (ふじさん, Fuji, Note: さん is a separate word, so you can use a ĵ)

When the syllable ず/づ is used at the beginning of a word, it is mostly transcribed as dzu, directly from Hepburn; but if the syllable is anywhere else in the word, it is mostly transcribed as zu.

* Kazu (かず, number)
* Manazuru (まなづる)
* Dzuke (づけ)
* Dzumen (ずめん, drawing)

### Voiceless vowels

Generally, some vowels may not be said at all. This is very common in everyday speech in Japanese[3]

* Shita → Ŝta (した)
* Desu → Des (です)

あ ア a | い イ i | う ウ u | え エ e | お オ o | や ヤ ja | ユ ゆ ju | よ ヨ jo

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か カ ka | き キ ki | く ク ku | け ケ ke | こ コ ko | きゃ キャ kja | きゅ キュ kju | きょ キョ kjo
さ サ sa | し シ ŝi | す ス su | せ セ se | そ ソ so | しゃ シャ ŝa | しゅ シュ ŝu | しょ ショ ŝo
た タ ta | ち チ ĉi | つ ツ cu | て テ te | と ト to | ちゃ チャ ĉa | ちゅ チュ ĉu | ちょ チョ ĉo
な ナ na | に ニ ni | ぬ ヌ nu | ね ネ ne | の ノ no | にゃ ニャ nja | にゅ ニュ nju | にょ ニョ njo
は ハ ha | ひ ヒ hi | ふ フ fu | へ ヘ he | ほ ホ ho | ひゃ ヒャ hja | ひゅ ヒュ hju | ひょ ヒョ hjo
ま マ ma | み ミ mi | む ム mu | め メ me | も モ mo | みゃ ミャ mja | みゅ ミュ mju | みょ ミョ mjo
ら ラ ra | り リ ri | る ル ru | れ レ re | ろ ロ ro | りゃ リャ rja | りゅ リュ rju | りょ リョ rjo
わ ワ ŭa | ゐ ヰ ŭi |  | ゑ ヱ ŭe | を ヲ ŭo |
| ん ン n |
が ガ ga | ぎ ギ gi | ぐ グ gu | げ ゲ ge | ご ゴ go | ぎゃ ギャ gja | ぎゅ ギュ gju | ぎょ ギョ gjo
ざ ザ za | じ ジ ĝi / ĵi | ず ズ zu / dzu | ぜ ゼ ze | ぞ ゾ zo | じゃ ジャ ĝa / ĵa | じゅ ジュ ĝu / ĵu | じょ ジョ ĝo / ĵo
だ ダ da | ぢ ヂ (ĝi) / (ĵi) | づ ヅ (zu) / (dzu) | で デ de | ど ド do | ぢゃ ヂャ (ĝa) / (ĵa) | ぢゅ ヂュ (ĝu) / (ĵu) | ぢょ ヂョ (ĝo) / (ĵo)
ば バ ba | び ビ bi | ぶ ブ bu | べ ベ be | ぼ ボ bo | びゃ ビャ bja | びゅ ビュ bju | びょ ビョ bjo
ぱ パ pa | ぴ ピ pi | ぷ プ pu | ぺ ペ pe | ぽ ポ po | ぴゃ ピャ pja | ぴゅ ピュ pju | ぴょ ピョ pjo
| イェ je |

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| ウィ ŭi |  | ウェ ŭe | ウォ ŭo
ヴァ va | ヴィ vi | ヴ vu | ヴェ ve | ヴォ vo
| シェ ŝe |
| ジェ ĝe / ĵe |
| チェ ĉe |
| ティ ti | トゥ tu |
| テュ tju |
| ディ di | ドゥ du |
| デュ dju |
ツァ ca | ツィ ci |  | ツェ ce | ツォ co
ファ fa | フィ fi |  | フェ fe | フォ fo
| フュ fju |

Red letters indicate Kana no longer used in modern Japanese.

## See also

* Esperantigo de vortoj el japana fonto
* Romanization of Japanese
* Hepburn romanization
* Kunrei-shiki romanization

## External links

* Baza Esperanto-lekciono por (japanaj) retmarŝantoj
* Konsiloj por transskribado el la japana al Esperanto

## References

1. ↑ Kenichi, Fujimaki (2012). まるごとエスペラント文法改訂版, Revised Esperanto Grammar. p. 94. ISBN 978-4-88887-072-6.
2. ↑ 修, 石黒 (1923-01-01). 初等エスペラント教科書. 東京. pp. 10–11. http://iss.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000039-I001914811-00?ar=4e1f&locale=en.
3. ↑ Teshigawara, Mihoko (2002). Vowel Devoicing in Tokyo Japanese. http://edocs.lib.sfu.ca/projects/NWLC2002/NWLC2002_Proceedings_Teshigawara.pdf.

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