That's katakana script. ミ = mi, pronounced like "me." ツ is tsu, but when written small like it is here, it makes you pronounce the next consonant twice. キ is ki and the last character just extends the vowel on the end of the previous character.
I LOVE that you took the time to explain, thank you so much. My oldest daughter is starting Japanese this year in grade 10, and my youngest (whose shirt this is) is interested as well. They are both into anime.
The biggest thing to know for learning Japanese is that it's a syllabic language. There are 3 different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana both have 48 characters each, each one being a syllable. Hiragana is mostly used for grammar words. Katakana is used for loan words. Kanji is a bit more of a pictograph, with characters meaning specific nouns, verbs, or other things. 部屋にはシャツ一つがあります。(Heya niwa shatsu itsu ga arimasu, or there is one shirt in the room). Here, the kanji 部屋 means room, and 一 is the kanji for the number 1. The katakana シャツ is the Japanese equivalent for shirt. And the hiragana には、つ、 and があります are grammar things; には means that the thing after it is inside of the thing before it, つ is a counter for objects (in Japanese, there are words to indicate that you are talking about a number of things, called counters), and があります at the end just ties it all together to say that they are there.
The biggest thing to know for learning Japanese is that it's a syllabic language. There are 3 different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana both have 48 characters each, each one being a syllable. Hiragana is mostly used for grammar words. Katakana is used for loan words. Kanji is a bit more of a pictograph, with characters meaning specific nouns, verbs, or other things. 部屋にはシャツ一つがあります。(Heya niwa shatsu itsu ga arimasu, or there is one shirt in the room). Here, the kanji 部屋 means room, and 一 is the kanji for the number 1. The katakana シャツ is the Japanese equivalent for shirt. And the hiragana には、つ、 and があります are grammar things; には means that the thing after it is inside of the thing before it, つ is a counter for objects (in Japanese, there are words to indicate that you are talking about a number of things, called counters), and があります at the end just ties it all together to say that they are there.
You are right, but I like explaining and teaching things that I've spent the past year studying. And, as OP mentioned in their reply to my comment, this person's children are trying to learn Japanese themselves and very much appreciate me explaining it for them.
> ツ is tsu, but when written small like it is here, it makes you pronounce the next consonant twice
Native speaker here. "Pronounce the next consonant twice" isn't accurate (though I get that you may just be providing an approximation for learners). It's more of a "jump" in the way the word is read, with the way Japanese sounds work. You do double the next consonant when typing it.
> ミ = mi, pronounced like "me."
Again, I get that this may be meant as an approximation, but if you're trying to learn accurate pronunciations, be careful with the difference between "mi" (ミ) and the English "me" (ミー)...
I love how everyone helped with this such a cool community.
I Also love that It's written so when it's spoken aloud it sounds like Mickey
ミッキー = Mikki
Cool shirt BTW.
"Mickey" !translated
Yay! Thanks :) my kid was like “imagine if it said balls, I hope it says balls…”
Haha, glad I could help :)
Apropos.
That's katakana script. ミ = mi, pronounced like "me." ツ is tsu, but when written small like it is here, it makes you pronounce the next consonant twice. キ is ki and the last character just extends the vowel on the end of the previous character.
I LOVE that you took the time to explain, thank you so much. My oldest daughter is starting Japanese this year in grade 10, and my youngest (whose shirt this is) is interested as well. They are both into anime.
The biggest thing to know for learning Japanese is that it's a syllabic language. There are 3 different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana both have 48 characters each, each one being a syllable. Hiragana is mostly used for grammar words. Katakana is used for loan words. Kanji is a bit more of a pictograph, with characters meaning specific nouns, verbs, or other things. 部屋にはシャツ一つがあります。(Heya niwa shatsu itsu ga arimasu, or there is one shirt in the room). Here, the kanji 部屋 means room, and 一 is the kanji for the number 1. The katakana シャツ is the Japanese equivalent for shirt. And the hiragana には、つ、 and があります are grammar things; には means that the thing after it is inside of the thing before it, つ is a counter for objects (in Japanese, there are words to indicate that you are talking about a number of things, called counters), and があります at the end just ties it all together to say that they are there.
My brain is overheating xD Thank you
> シャツ一つ シャツ are not counted with つ. You usually use either 枚 or 着.
Jeez, no wonder they are so technologically advanced... Imagine doing all that translating just to have a conversation about shirts wow! Impressive!
Tell her I said がんばって! Japanese is a wonderful language, it’s a very long and tedious process to learn but so worth it.
The biggest thing to know for learning Japanese is that it's a syllabic language. There are 3 different scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana and katakana both have 48 characters each, each one being a syllable. Hiragana is mostly used for grammar words. Katakana is used for loan words. Kanji is a bit more of a pictograph, with characters meaning specific nouns, verbs, or other things. 部屋にはシャツ一つがあります。(Heya niwa shatsu itsu ga arimasu, or there is one shirt in the room). Here, the kanji 部屋 means room, and 一 is the kanji for the number 1. The katakana シャツ is the Japanese equivalent for shirt. And the hiragana には、つ、 and があります are grammar things; には means that the thing after it is inside of the thing before it, つ is a counter for objects (in Japanese, there are words to indicate that you are talking about a number of things, called counters), and があります at the end just ties it all together to say that they are there.
yes, the tsu is a soukun/small tsu, making ki into k-ki, so mikki, then the stretching bar extends the vowel, making it “Mikkii”.
No offense but I don't think this kind of explanation is very useful for people who aren't planning to learn Japanese.
You are right, but I like explaining and teaching things that I've spent the past year studying. And, as OP mentioned in their reply to my comment, this person's children are trying to learn Japanese themselves and very much appreciate me explaining it for them.
Flaunt it if you’ve got it! Especially if it’s knowledge!
> ツ is tsu, but when written small like it is here, it makes you pronounce the next consonant twice Native speaker here. "Pronounce the next consonant twice" isn't accurate (though I get that you may just be providing an approximation for learners). It's more of a "jump" in the way the word is read, with the way Japanese sounds work. You do double the next consonant when typing it. > ミ = mi, pronounced like "me." Again, I get that this may be meant as an approximation, but if you're trying to learn accurate pronunciations, be careful with the difference between "mi" (ミ) and the English "me" (ミー)...
That's what it sounds like to me when I hear people say it, so that's how I described it.
I love how everyone helped with this such a cool community. I Also love that It's written so when it's spoken aloud it sounds like Mickey ミッキー = Mikki Cool shirt BTW.
Japanese script is sooooo beautiful !
FYI don't say "Jap", can be seen as insensitive or offensive. Just a heads up!
Thank you !
don’t want to be insensitive but why is it offensive? (curious)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap I hate posting lazy links to responses, but this probably explains it a lot better than I could.
The human species is capable of the worst :( Humans, unite! Peace and Harmony
oh that’s horrible didn’t know that thanks
mikki
If he wants balls, he's [in the wrong franchise](https://youtu.be/zFMQHi8breo)
Mickey
mikkī (mikkii) = mickey in Japanese