Pronunciation

[crust]

Personally I am endeavoring to not use Japanese terminology--its really not necessary most of the time. I think it can be pretentious and jargonizing to insist on doing it.

 

[kakejiku]

Osoyoung provided a good answer.

What I have realized is that some people care about learning and some aspects of the art more than others and some do not. But as a student, be aware that the teacher will be more willing to part with some information if you go halfway there.

Other sizes...
中品　Chuuhin　Choo (like choo choo train) and he (think he-man) with an n on the end.
大 Dai (pronounced like our word die, as in your tree will die this winter, overwintering what a bummer)

Styles
模様木 Moyougi (Mo as in give me mo' man) You (like yo-yo toys) and Gi (Gee you old horse)
文人　Bunjin Bu (like a ghost Boo with an n at the end) and Jin (well you all know how to say jin, except in this case it is a different character which represents person)

Hope this answers more of your questions...

 

[qwade]

Osoyoung provided a good answer.

What I have realized is that some people care about learning and some aspects of the art more than others and some do not. But as a student, be aware that the teacher will be more willing to part with some information if you go halfway there.

Other sizes...
中品　Chuuhin　Choo (like choo choo train) and he (think he-man) with an n on the end.
大 Dai (pronounced like our word die, as in your tree will die this winter, overwintering what a bummer)

Styles
模様木 Moyougi (Mo as in give me mo' man) You (like yo-yo toys) and Gi (Gee you old horse)
文人　Bunjin Bu (like a ghost Boo with an n at the end) and Jin (well you all know how to say jin, except in this case it is a different character which represents person)

Hope this answers more of your questions...

Yes thanks exactly what I originally posted--- to learn.

 

[Giga]

I come very a very ethnic back ground, my wife is Russian. Grew up in Hawaii, and one aunt is Chinese and one is Vietnamese, all fluent in their native tounge. I took japanese in college and speak it decently. Funny thing is 99% of people miss pronounce Honda, I still screw up a billion words especially Russian, or I get lazy and don't try but it is nice to see people take the effort to know how to speak properly.

 

[milehigh_7]

May me? Maybe? Maim?
Me I go with small,medium,large and extra large. Extra large also falls under hernia maker. Heffen duty. Squirts. Beasts. Monsters. Everything but the proper names for me.
In all seriousness the size classifications only really matter if a person's going to show their trees. If I ever enter one in a show I guess I would have to break out a tape measure so I know what to call it. I believe most places won't go with nut buster size classification.

Have even seen it: finger tip, palm, two hand and so forth...

 

[Cadillactaste]

Osoyoung provided a good answer.

What I have realized is that some people care about learning and some aspects of the art more than others and some do not. But as a student, be aware that the teacher will be more willing to part with some information if you go halfway there.

Other sizes...
中品　Chuuhin　Choo (like choo choo train) and he (think he-man) with an n on the end.
大 Dai (pronounced like our word die, as in your tree will die this winter, overwintering what a bummer)

Styles
模様木 Moyougi (Mo as in give me mo' man) You (like yo-yo toys) and Gi (Gee you old horse)
文人　Bunjin Bu (like a ghost Boo with an n at the end) and Jin (well you all know how to say jin, except in this case it is a different character which represents person)

Hope this answers more of your questions...

Sooooo pronounced bunjin incorrectly. Thanks!

 

[M. Frary]

Can you say...GODZILLA!!!
Oh no! There goes Tokyo!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Can you say...GODZILLA!!!
Oh no! There goes Tokyo!

Lol your funny tonight.

 

[kite-eating bonsai tree]

qwade,

here's a general vocabulary list. 0soyoung gives a very good summary on pronunciation and stress. i'll respectfully add that vowels are similar to italian or spanish ... "clipped, crisp" vowel sounds. U and I in Japanese are 'weak' vowels in certain positions ... hence 'sahts'ki' over 'sah-tsoo-kii' for satsuki. i hope you find the list helpful.


tree sizes
chuhin (choo-heen) medium-sized
dai bonsai (die bone-sigh) large-sized
komono (koh-moh-noh) small-sized
mame (mah-meh) less than 6"
shito (shee-toh) bonsai to about 3" tall
shohin (shoh-heen) small bonsai

tree styles
bankan (bahn-kahn) twisted trunk style
bunjin (boon-jeen) literati style
chokkan (chok'kahn) [the 'kk' being similar to the 'kk' in bookkeeping] straight-trunk
fukinagashi (foo-koo-nah-gah-shee) windswept
han-kengai (hahn-ken-gah-ee) half-cascade
hokidachi (hoh-kee-dah-chee) broom-style
ikadabuki (ee-kah-dah-boo-kee) raft-style
ishitsuki (ee-sheets'kee) clinging to rock
kabudachi (kah-boo-dah-chee) clump-style
kengai (ken-gah-ee) cascade-style
moyogi (moh-yoh-gee) informal upright
ne-agari (neh-ah-gah-ree) exposed root
shakan (shah-kahn) slanted trunk
yose-ue (yoh-seh-oo-eh) forest

misc
akadama (ah-kah-dah-mah) [soil type]
eda (eh-dah) [branch]
soukan (soh-kahn) [two-trunk tree]
ichi-eda (ee-chee-eh-dah) [first branch]
jin (jeen) [exposed dead branches]
miki (mee-kee) [tree trunk]
nebari (neh-bah-ree) [root spread]
shari (shah-ree) [exposed deadwood on trunk]
shimpaku (sheem-pah-koo) [type of juniper]
shomen (shoh-mehn) [front of a bonsai]
suiseki (soo-ee-seh-kee)
take (tah-keh) [bamboo]
tokonoma (toh-koh-noh-mah) [display shelf]
yamadori (yah-mah-doh-ree) [tree collected from the wild]


cheers,
rick

 

[qwade]

Rick
Great list. Thanks for taking the time to put this together for us. john

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Only "some" people - and they all seem to be Americans in my experience, pronounce bonsai as "bone sigh" - in Europe it is never pronounced that way.

Watch any youtube video you like... Walter Pall, Graham Potter, Peter Warren, Lindsay Farr, Ryan Neil, they all say "Bon sigh".

 

[barrosinc]

qwade,

here's a general vocabulary list. 0soyoung gives a very good summary on pronunciation and stress. i'll respectfully add that vowels are similar to italian or spanish ... "clipped, crisp" vowel sounds. U and I in Japanese are 'weak' vowels in certain positions ... hence 'sahts'ki' over 'sah-tsoo-kii' for satsuki. i hope you find the list helpful.


tree sizes
chuhin (choo-heen) medium-sized
dai bonsai (die bone-sigh) large-sized
komono (koh-moh-noh) small-sized
mame (mah-meh) less than 6"
shito (shee-toh) bonsai to about 3" tall
shohin (shoh-heen) small bonsai

tree styles
bankan (bahn-kahn) twisted trunk style
bunjin (boon-jeen) literati style
chokkan (chok'kahn) [the 'kk' being similar to the 'kk' in bookkeeping] straight-trunk
fukinagashi (foo-koo-nah-gah-shee) windswept
han-kengai (hahn-ken-gah-ee) half-cascade
hokidachi (hoh-kee-dah-chee) broom-style
ikadabuki (ee-kah-dah-boo-kee) raft-style
ishitsuki (ee-sheets'kee) clinging to rock
kabudachi (kah-boo-dah-chee) clump-style
kengai (ken-gah-ee) cascade-style
moyogi (moh-yoh-gee) informal upright
ne-agari (neh-ah-gah-ree) exposed root
shakan (shah-kahn) slanted trunk
yose-ue (yoh-seh-oo-eh) forest

misc
akadama (ah-kah-dah-mah) [soil type]
eda (eh-dah) [branch]
soukan (soh-kahn) [two-trunk tree]
ichi-eda (ee-chee-eh-dah) [first branch]
jin (jeen) [exposed dead branches]
miki (mee-kee) [tree trunk]
nebari (neh-bah-ree) [root spread]
shari (shah-ree) [exposed deadwood on trunk]
shimpaku (sheem-pah-koo) [type of juniper]
shomen (shoh-mehn) [front of a bonsai]
suiseki (soo-ee-seh-kee)
take (tah-keh) [bamboo]
tokonoma (toh-koh-noh-mah) [display shelf]
yamadori (yah-mah-doh-ree) [tree collected from the wild]


cheers,
rick

seems like a coincidence that I have been reading with proper pronounciation because it is like reading spanish words...

 

[thumblessprimate1]

shito (shee-toh) bonsai to about 3" tall
shari (shah-ree) [exposed deadwood on trunk]

Depending on how long you stay on the i vowel, your word could change.

Shito, could be inadvertently pronounced to sound like shiito or shito. Shito would like like you're hushing someone quickly followed by the "toh." If you're into music, that's two syllables in one beat; two beats is acceptable. I think shiito would sound more like "she" and then "toh." In music, that's two syllables in three beats. I feel that it's a little more complicated, but this is as simple as I could present it.

Basically keep vowel short unless in the romaji you have a double vowel such as "oo", "ee", and "ii."

 

[jk_lewis]

When the japanese discuss baseball, do they talk about balls and strikes or do they use japanese words for these things?

At least when I was living there in the mid to late 50s, they played "bas-u-baru" and not baseball.

A nice nebari sounds better than your tree has nice roots. etc. etc.

It does?

 

[thumblessprimate1]

At least when I was living there in the mid to late 50s, they played "bas-u-baru" and not baseball.

Dunno about the 50's but they call baseball yakyuu now.

I think I know what you mean about them calling it besubooru . The reasoning though is the language system. There's no "L" sound; the closest sound is "ru from ル. As for the "s" sound, it is "su" from ス.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I use as many japanese words as possible, whether i pronounce them wrong or not. Saying I have little trees in pots does not impress the girls but when I say Bonsai all of a sudden I'm an artist with feeling and soul. Clip on ponytail and suddenly i'm getting digits everywhere i go.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Personally I am endeavoring to not use Japanese terminology--its really not necessary most of the time. I think it can be pretentious and jargonizing to insist on doing it.

Not speaking about you personally but in general including myself. Pride is an interesting thing for us fallen creature. Some could become pretentious in using jargon, and some can grow condescending of those who use it. Pride is a battle we all must fight.

Styles
模様木 Moyougi (Mo as in give me mo' man) You (like yo-yo toys) and Gi (Gee you old horse)

Thanks! It certainly helps to have properly spelled romaji for me. It doesn't help that often romaji is incorrect. This seems to be common problem that I encounter among Japanese maple names. To make matters worse, a lot of Japanese maples are not true types.

 

[kakejiku]

fukinagashi (foo-koo-nah-gah-shee) windswept
han-kengai (hahn-ken-gah-ee) half-cascade
kengai (ken-gah-ee) cascade-style

Not trying to be the Japanese pronunciation police, but you might want to change your koo to ki (like key)...unless you are trying to say Happy Long Death 福長死

Also, although technically the gai could be pronounced like you have phoenetically written it out, in everyday conversation it is spoken so quickly that it becomes like I, as in I am a Japanese language nerd...

 

[Littlejoe919]

Is there a Latin class after this Japanese class?

 

[milehigh_7]

Happy Long Death 福長死

Sounds like my life! LOL