Languages › Japanese Introductory Japanese Lessons (1) Print Languages History & Culture Essential Japanese Vocabulary Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on March 17, 2017 Japanese Pronunciation Read More A Hiragana Stroke Guide to あ、い、う、え、お (A, I, U, E, O) By Namiko Abe The Japanese language has only 5 vowels: a, i, u, e, o. They are terse vowels, pronounced clearly and sharply. If one pronounces the vowels in the following sentence one will have their approximate sounds. Please note: the "u" is pronounced with no forward movement of the lips. Ah (a), we (i) soon (u) get (e) old (o). Listen to the audio files for the 46 basic Japanese sounds. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Abe, Namiko. "Introductory Japanese Lessons (1)." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/introductory-japanese-lessons-2027963. Abe, Namiko. (2023, April 5). Introductory Japanese Lessons (1). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/introductory-japanese-lessons-2027963 Abe, Namiko. "Introductory Japanese Lessons (1)." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/introductory-japanese-lessons-2027963 (accessed April 19, 2024). copy citation