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The Ultimate “U” Story: From a Feather to a Simple Shape!
The character “う” (oo) in the Japanese alphabet has an intriguing history, tracing back to the Chinese character “宇” (yǔ). Originally meaning “eaves” or “roof,” “宇” symbolized the vast concept of “the whole world” or “universe.” Japanese scholars adopted this character to represent the sound “u.” However, due to its complexity, writing “宇” became cumbersome. To make it easier and faster, scribes simplified the character into the smoother, more fluid “う” we use today. This transformation highlights how an ancient symbol of the universe was refined into a simple letter.
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History of Japanese alphabet: Hiragana
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こんにちは。
I’m Shimachan
Welcome to “Picture this: Japanese words”!
Hello there! My name is Shimachan.
This picture book series was born from my wish to make learning Japanese fun for everyone. I’ve designed it so that even if you’ve never heard a word of Japanese before, you can learn by looking at the pictures, almost like singing a song or playing a game.
You’ll learn not only pronunciation, but also the unique pitch accent of Japanese, which is shown visually so you can understand it even without a native Japanese speaker by your side. Feel free to share the book with your family and friends and have fun saying the words out loud together!
Now, let’s start our Japanese adventure!
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