子音

• Reading: しいん
• Romaji: shiin
• Kanji breakdown: 子 (shi/ko) — child, subsidiary; 音 (in/on/oto) — sound
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.iɴ/

Meaning

Consonant. A speech sound produced by partially or fully obstructing airflow, as opposed to a vowel.

A noun used in linguistics and language education to describe consonant sounds. Paired with 母音 (boin, vowel) in phonetics discussions. Japanese has a relatively simple consonant system compared to many languages. Important for understanding Japanese phonology, especially when studying how consonants combine with vowels to form mora (拍, haku). Common in language classes and linguistics courses.

Examples

1. 日本語の子音は英語より少ない。 Japanese has fewer consonants than English.
2. 子音と母音の組み合わせで音節ができる。 Syllables are formed by combining consonants and vowels.
3. 外国語を学ぶとき、子音の発音に苦労した。 When learning a foreign language, I struggled with consonant pronunciation.

Usage Guide

Context: linguistics, language learning, education

Tone: academic

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 子 (shi, child/subsidiary) + 音 (in/on, sound). Literally 'subsidiary sound' — a sound that supports or accompanies a vowel, contrasted with 母音 (boin, 'mother sound,' i.e. vowel).

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated