Kinoko Channel | Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly

Today, Kinoko-chan talks about the top ten most difficult words for foreigners to pronounce and more importantly why they are difficult, so you can know what to work on.

She is speaking Japanese as usual, but for the first time we are including a full transcript in Japanese and English. So you can practice your Japanese listening by following the transcript, or if your Japanese isn’t ready for that yet, you can use the English translation.

Enjoy the fun as Kinoko-chan challenges the first half of what are reputed to be Japan’s top ten tough words!

Japanese pronunciation challenge transcript

(The Japanese-only version is beneath this one. If you want to try your Japanese, we suggest you open the video in a different window and follow along with the script)

皆さんこんにちは。木の子で〜す。

Minasan konnichiwa. Kinoko desu!

今日は外国人にとっての一番難しい言葉のトップ１０のチャレンジを挑戦したいと思います。

Today I want to take on the challenge of the top ten most difficult words for foreigners to pronounce.

木の子の日本語はね、恥ずかしいほど下手ですね。

My Japanese is shamefully poor.

でも、頑張ってやってまます。

But I will try hard and give it a go.

深呼吸！

Deep breath!

【アナウンサー】木の子チャレンジ、スタート。その１

(Announcer) Kinoko challenge, start! Number 1.
(literally “that one” = “number one of (this list)”

それはツイッターどすね。なぜあんなに難しいよく分からない。ローマ字で書いたからかもしれません。

That is tsuittaa, isn’t it? I’m not sure why that’s so difficult. Perhaps because it’s written in Romaji.

英語を話す人は「(英語っぽい)twitter」と話すと思います。

English-speaking people say “twitter [English pronunciation]”, I think.

カタカナで書いたらもっと簡単になるかもしれないんですけど、英語を話す人は英語の言葉を見ると半分英語の発音がするかもしれません。

If it were written in katakana it might be easier, but when English-speaking people see an English word, perhaps their pronunciation becomes half-English.

ツイッターは正しいですか。

Is tsuittaa correct?

【アナウンサー】視聴者さまコメントをください。その２。

(Announcer) Viewer-sama, please comment. No. 2.

それは「伝えられなかった」ですね。実は早口言葉のような言葉ですね。

This is tsutaerarenakatta (couldn’t convey), isn’t it? Actually it’s a bit of a tongue-twister, isn’t it?

そして「ら、り、る、れ、ろ」という発音は外国人にとって難しそうですね。

Besides that, the pronunciation of RA, RE, RU, RE, RO seems to be difficult for foreigners.

【アナウンサー】その３。

(Announcer) No. 3.

それは侵略ですね。実は木の子にもそれはちょっと難しいと思います。「ら、り、る、れ、ろ」より「りゃ、りゅ、りょ」という発音は難しいと思います。

This is shinryaku (invasion), isn’t it? Actually this is a little hard for me too. The pronunciation of RYA, RYU, RYO is harder than RA, RI, RU, RE, RO, I think.

それは大丈夫ですけど、「んりゃ」、「んりゃ」はね、ちょっと難しい。

That’s all right, but NRYA – NRYA, that’s a bit difficult.

【アナウンサー】その４。

(Announcer) No. 4.

それは便利ですね。ほとんど同じ問題ですね。「んり」、「んり」と[いう]問題。

This is benri (convenient), isn’t it? It’s almost the same problem. The NRI problem.

でも、もっと簡単だと思います。「べんり」は大丈夫ですか。

But this is easier I think. “Benri”. Is that all right?

【アナウンサー】視聴者さまコメントをください。その５。

(Announcer) Viewer-sama, please comment. No 5.

それは出力ですね。出力は簡単だと思います。♪出力、出力♪、正しいですか。

This is shutsuryoku (output power), isn’t it? Shutsuryoku is easy, I think. ♪Shutsuryoku, shutsuryoku♪. Is that right?

【アナウンサー】今日はこれまでです。来週も来られますか。

(Announcer) That’s all for today. Can you come back next week?

はい。了解。

Yes, ma’am. Roger that.

木の子はどう出来ましたか。コメントをください。

How did I do? Please comment.

皆さまも来週来てください。チャレンジが続きますからね。

Minasama, please come back next week too because the challenge will continue.

これからもよろしくお願いします。

From now on, as always, please be good to me.

バイバイ！

Bye bye!

The blooper reel at the end has Kinoko-chan tripping over

それは「伝えられなかった」ですね。実は早口言葉のような

She is trying to say that tsutaerarenakatta is a bit of a tongue-twister and blooping the rest of the sentence!

Japanese-only version