Katakana Mnemonics Set 4

Sound: ta

Mnemonic: tonight - This symbol is very similar to the kanji meaning "evening", a pictograph of a cresent moon. To get the right sound (i.e. tanight), say it with an accent of your choice.

Sound: chi

Mnemonic: cheap - This is a picture of a huge and fearsome mechanical dragon, its wings unfurled (the head is at the top, the tail at the bottom). However, this dragon, being the cheaper model, doesn't have fire-breathing capabilities.

Sound: tsu

Mnemonic: tsunami - As this giant wave breaks, it produces two drops of foam. Compare this with "so".

Sound: te

Mnemonic: temperature - Using the same mnemonic as for the hiragana, we see a close-up of a thermometer. The downwards stroke represents mercury spurting out of the side.

Sound: to

Mnemonic: tokei - The hour, minute and second hands are all visible on this clock (the time is half a minute past four). The Japanese word for clock is "tokei". If you need a mnemonic for that, remember that a clock makes the sound "tock ... tick ... tock ....".

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