Kan-on

Kan-on (漢音?, lit. "Han sound") is one of the sources of pronunciation of Japanese kanji. They were borrowed from the Tang Dynasty during the 7th to 9th century during the Japanese missions to Tang China. This period corresponds with the Japanese Nara period. Not to be confused with Tō-on which literally translates as "Tang sound" but refers to a later transliteration of Chinese pronunciation into Japanese.

Contents

Characteristics as compared to Go-on

In consonants

type unvoiced / voiced voived / nasal zi- / ni- or zy- / ny-
example 神 大 土 地 分 仏 男 女 万 美 無 二児 人刃 日 如 若
Kan-on ɕin tai to tɕi fun futsu dan dʑo dyo ban bi bu dʑi dʑin dʑitsu dʑo dʑaku
Go-on dʑin dai do dʑi bun butsu nan njo man mi mu ni nin nitɕi njo njaku
notes d- / n- b- / m- Mandarin r-, er

In vowels

type * / -e -ei / -ai * / -u
examples 衣 気 戯 愛 解 会絵 快怪 外 仮家 下夏 化 花 西斉 体帝 米 礼 素 図 怒 公工口 豆頭 右有 九久 留
Kan-on i ki gi ai kai くゎい kwai ぐゎいgwai ka くゎ sē tē bē rē so to do tō tō iu kiu riu
Go-on e ke ge e ge ue/we ke ge ke ge e ge sai tai mai rai su zu nu r zu u ke ru
Notes Mandarin -i
Type -i- / -o- -e- / -o- -a- / -o- -a- / -ya- -yoku / -iki
Examples 音隠 今金 品 乙 乞 遠園 建 言厳 越 叛 発 行 客 白 色拭 食 直 力
Kan-on in kin hin itsu kitsu uen/wen ken gen uetsu/wetsu han hatsu kau kaku haku ɕoku tɕ rjoku
Go-on on kon hon otsu kotsu won/on kon gon ochi/wochi hon hotsu gyou gyaku byaku ɕiki dʑiki dʑiki riki
Notes
Type -e- / -ya- others
Examples 京経 形 正生性声省精 成静 丁挺 定 兵 平病 名命明 霊 役 石赤 寂 暦 牛 月 殺
Kan-on kē sē tē hē mē rē eki seki reki giu getsu satsu
Go-on gjou gjou ɕō dʑō tɕō dʑō hyō mjō rjō jaku ɕjaku dʑaku rjaku go ぐゎつ setsu setsu
Notes Mandarin -ing zheng, cheng, sheng

See also