Sha Shu Sho

Hiragana 3

Chapter 4 Β· Sha Shu Sho

🌸 Combined Sounds II β€” しゃ しゅ しょ and γ˜γ‚ƒ γ˜γ‚… γ˜γ‚‡

Same rule as last chapter, on two new rows: し and じ plus a small ゃ, γ‚… or ょ. Notice that the romaji is sha shu sho and ja ju jo, not "shya" or "jya": the "y" is already inside the sh and j sounds. Romaji is shown for everything.

🧩 The Rule Again β€” ζ‹—ιŸ³

The rule has not changed: an い-row character + a small ゃ, γ‚… or ょ = one beat. Today it is applied to し and じ.

ゃ (ya)γ‚… (yu)ょ (yo)
し (shi) sha shu sho
じ (ji) ja ju jo

Remember: し is shi and じ is ji, so these combine to sha and ja, not shya.

しゃ
sha
"sha" in one beat, like shah
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: sha in shashin, a photo. し + small ゃ.
しゅ
shu
"shu" in one beat, like shoe
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: shu as in shumi, a hobby. し + small γ‚….
しょ
sho
"sho" in one beat, like show
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: sho, like a show. し + small ょ.
γ˜γ‚ƒ
ja
"ja" in one beat, like jam
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: ja like jam. じ + small ゃ.
γ˜γ‚…
ju
"ju" in one beat, like ju in jewel
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: ju as in jΕ«, ten. じ + small γ‚….
γ˜γ‚‡
jo
"jo" in one beat, like Joe
stroke order β–Έ
Memory hook: jo, like Joe. じ + small ょ.
One Beat or Two? β€” しゃ versus しや Size again decides: しゃ (small ゃ) is one beat, sha. しや (full-size γ‚„) is two beats, shi-ya. The length matters even more with γ˜γ‚…γ† (ten) and γ˜γ‚†γ† (freedom): same letters, different sizes, completely different words.
Two beatsSay itOne beatSay it
shi-yasha
ji-yΕ« (freedom)jΕ« (ten)
Long Vowels Again As before, a combined sound followed by う is a long vowel: しょうゆ is shō-yu and γ˜γ‚…γ† is jΕ«. The word γ—γ‚‡γ†γŒγ£γ“γ† (elementary school) has everything from this course so far: a long ō, a small っ and a long ō again.

πŸ“– Read It β€” New Words

Read the Japanese first, then check the romaji. Remember: each combined sound is one beat.

#WordRomajiEnglishNote
1shashinphotographsha-shi-n
2shumihobbyshu-mi
3kaishacompany; workplaceka-i-sha: you will use this a lot
4shōyusoy sauceshō-yu
5shokujimealsho-ku-ji
6jΕ«tenjΕ«: ゅう is a long u
7jōzuskilled; good atjō-zu: used to praise someone
8jugyōclass; lessonju-gyō
9shōgakkōelementary schoolshō-gak-kō: a long ō, then small っ, then another long ō
10jāwell then; sojā: a long a
Real Japanese Tip β€” しゅみは γͺγ‚“γ§γ™γ‹οΌŸ しゅみは γͺんですか ("What's your hobby?") is a classic question when you meet someone new. And γ˜γ‚ƒγ‚γ€γΎγŸ ("Well then, see you again") is a casual goodbye among friends. You can read all of it already.
Review: Words from the Last Chapter (today) Β· (Kyoto) Β· (gyoza) Β· (cucumber) Β· (beef) Β· (siblings).

✍️ Try It Yourself β€” γ‚Œγ‚“γ—γ‚…γ†

Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.

1. How is romanised, and why is it not "shya"?

Show answer

sha: the "y" sound is already part of sh, so there is no extra y.

2. What is the difference between and ?

Show answer

γ˜γ‚…γ† (jΕ«) is ten; γ˜γ‚†γ† (jiyΕ«) is freedom: small γ‚… gives one beat, full-size ゆ gives two.

3. Read aloud and translate: Β· Β·

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shashin (photograph) Β· shumi (hobby) Β· kaisha (company)

4. Read aloud and translate: Β· Β·

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shōyu (soy sauce) · shokuji (meal) · jōzu (skilled)

5. Read aloud: . What three ideas from earlier chapters does it use?

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shōgakkō (elementary school): a combined sound, a long ō (ょう) and a small っ.

6. Write in hiragana: shumi · kaisha · jōzu (check the small characters).

Show answer

Β· Β·

Coming Up in Chapter 5 Two more rows: けゃ けゅ けょ and にゃ にゅ にょ. You'll be able to read γŠγ‘γ‚ƒ (tea), けょっと (a little) and けゅうごく (China).