Japanese Hiragana & Katakana for Beginners. Timothy G. Stout

      

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      FIRST STEPS TO MASTERING THE JAPANESE WRITING SYSTEM

      Japanese

       HIRAGANA

       & KATAKANA

       for Beginners

      The method that’s helped thousands in the U.S. and Japan learn Japanese successfully

      Timothy G. Stout

       Illustrated by Alexis Cowan

      TUTTLE Publishing

       Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore

      The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”

      Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old and rare editions.

      Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.

      Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the “Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.

      With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.

      Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (Hong Kong) Ltd.

       www.tuttlepublishing.com

      Copyright © 2011 by Periplus Editions (Hong Kong) Ltd.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

      ISBN: 978-1-4629-0101-2 (ebook)

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      CONTENTS

       Introduction

      — HIRAGANA —

      SECTION ONE

       The Basic 46 Hiragana Characters

       Reading Practice 1: あ ~ そ

       Reading Practice 2: た ~ ほ

       Reading Practice 3: ま ~ ん

      SECTION TWO

       Hiragana Usage Rules

       Rule 1: Tenten and Maru

       Reading Practice 4: Tenten and Maru

       Rule 2: Combined Characters

       Reading Practice 5: Combined Characters

       Rule 3: Small “tsu”

       Reading Practice 6: Small “tsu”

       Rule 4: Long Vowels

       Reading Practice 7: Long Vowels

       Rule 5: Sentence Particles “wa,” “e” and “o”

       Reading Practice 8: Particles “wa,” “e” and “o”

      SECTION THREE

       Reading and Writing Practice

       Answers

      — KATAKANA —

      SECTION FOUR

       The Basic 46 Katakana Characters

       Reading Practice 1: ア ~ ソ

       Reading Practice 2: タ ~ ホ

       Reading Practice 3: マ ~ ン

      SECTION FIVE

       Katakana Usage Rules

       Rule 1: Tenten and Maru

       Reading Practice 4: Tenten and Maru

       Rule 2: Combined Characters

       Reading Practice 5: Combined Characters

       Rule 3: Small “tsu”

       Reading Practice 6: Small “tsu”

       Rule 4: Additional Combined Characters

       Reading Practice 7: Additional Combined Characters

      SECTION SIX

       Reading and Writing Practice

       Answers

       Flash Card Practice Activities

       Acknowledgments

      How to Download the Bonus Material of