母音(ぼいん)

ぼいん
noun
vowel
1. vowel
A speech sound produced without obstruction of airflow. Japanese has five vowels: あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o).
日本語(にほんご)の母音(ぼいん)は五(いつ)つある。
Japanese has five vowels.
英語(えいご)は日本語(にほんご)より母音(ぼいん)の数(かず)が多(おお)い。
English has more vowels than Japanese.
日本語(にほんご)では母音(ぼいん)が連続(れんぞく)すると発音(はつおん)しにくくなることがある。
In Japanese, when vowels occur in succession, they can become difficult to pronounce.

USAGE:
A linguistics and language-learning term. Useful when discussing pronunciation differences between Japanese and other languages. Japanese vowels are "pure" (monophthongs), unlike English vowels which often glide (diphthongs).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 母音(ぼいん)の発音(はつおん): vowel pronunciation
  • 長母音(ちょうぼいん): long vowel
  • 短母音(たんぼいん): short vowel
  • 母音(ぼいん)調和(ちょうわ): vowel harmony

CONTRASTING TERM:

  • 子音(しいん): consonant
general
Added 2026.2.24 15:15
13000/13205_boin