早口言葉 (Hayakuchi Kotoba) – Tongue twister

28th May -皐月

早口言葉 (Hayakuchi Kotoba) is the sentence to say quickly, the sentences have similar sounds or related sounds repeated several times, therefore those are hard to pronounce correctly. As well as tongue twister exists in English, so does in Japanese.

Japanese 早口言葉 often have following sounds , which makes the sentence difficult to say correctly:

きゃ•きゅ•きょ (Kya, Kyu, Kyo)

まみむめも (Ma Mi Mu Me Mo)

ぱぴぷぺぽ (Pa Pi Pu Pe Po)

ばびぶべぼ (Ba Bi Bu Be Bo)

When you pronounce those word slowly or normal speed, it is fine but when you say quick three times, things are different!

Here are the classic 早口言葉 most Japanese have heard of:

-生麦生米生卵

(Namamugi Namagome Namatamago)

Meaning: raw wheat raw rice raw egg

-赤巻紙青巻紙黄巻紙

(Aka Makigami Ao Makigami Ki Makigami)

Meaning: red paper roll blue paper roll yellow paper roll

-バスガス爆発

(Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu)

Meaning: the Bus explodes due to the gas

隣の客はよく柿食う客だ

(Tonari no Kyaku wa Yoku Kaki Kuu Kyaku da)

Meaning: the neighbor visitor often eats persimmon

坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた

(Bouzu ga Byoubu ni Jouzu ni Bouzu no E wo Kaita)

Meaning: the Buddhist preist drew his portrait well on a folding screen

蛙ぴょこぴょこ みぴょこぴょこ 合わせてぴょこぴょこ むぴょこぴょこ

(Kaeru Pyoko pyoko Mi Pyoko pyoko Awasete Pyoko pyoko Mu Pyoko pyoko)

Meaning: frogs are hopping three of them, all together hopping six of them

Are you able to say them 3 times quickly / correctly?:) Does your country have 早口言葉?