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Ian Remi
13th December 2001, 19:48
Does anyone have a sound clip I could listen to?

Is it simply pronounced in english like it is written, eg. "ree-you"?

Domo.

Ian.

Ben Bartlett
13th December 2001, 20:52
Well, I don't have a sound clip, and I'm not sure I could pronounce it correctly anyway, but I can tell you how it's supposed to be pronounced. It's a single syllable (so not ree-you, which would be spelled riyu, but actually just ryu... two consonants and then a vowel). As a good example of how this is supposed to sound, take as an example 'kyu'. That is pronounced the same way as we say the letter 'q'. (Or actually, it's also a lot like the word, queue.) Now, imagine that sound, only have it start with an 'r' instead of a 'k'. That's pretty much what it's supposed to sound like. I have a hard time with those, along with 'tsu' and 'n'/'m' (the latter of which is not actually pronounced like either 'n' or 'm' is in English... which is why sometimes it sounds like 'n' and sometimes like 'm'). Hope that helps.

Kaijin
13th December 2001, 21:11
The 'R' sound doesn't really exist in Japanese. To make the "Ra Ri Ru Re Ro" sounds, try pushing your tongue farther toward the back of your front teeth. It should sound like a combination of 'D', 'L' and 'R'.

However, the American pronunciation is just as valid!

Ben Bartlett
13th December 2001, 21:17
Oh yeah, good point, I forgot that part. :)

JohnRay
13th December 2001, 23:12
Hi folks, I had just arrived in Japan to teach English, for the first time... and some time ago. A Japanese fellow who had just returned from finishing his degree at an American University came by the school to introduce himself (in order to keep his English up). He was a pretty funny guy. His name was "Ryutaro". I pronounced it just about every way but the right way for several weeks. Finally, I told him that his name was really difficult to pronounce. Without missing a beat, he said, "Oh I know what you mean. I even have trouble pronouncing it."
John Ray (or is it Joan Day?)

hyaku
14th December 2001, 01:39
Ree-you? I would say no.

Because we have two similar pronunciations in Japanese. Ryu and Riyu.

The former is clipped. The second is similar to your pronuciation.

In more common usage the word Byoin (hospital) and Biyoshi (Ladies Hairstylist) have to pronounced differently.

As the other gentleman mentioned there is definative R sound. Its a cros between L and R.

Hyakutake Colin

http://www.bunbun.ne.jp/~sword

Kimpatsu
14th December 2001, 02:26
Ryu is a dipthong, a combination of ri + small yu. Thnk of Jar-Jar Binks: "(R)yuosa people gonna die?"
HTH,