Using a Japanese pitch-accent dictionary

The idea

In the common Tokyo accent-number notation, the number identifies the mora after which pitch drops: 箸［１］ drops after は, and 橋［２］ after し. Zero means no lexical drop. With が, the patterns are H-L-L, L-H-L and, for 飴［０］, L-H-H. Count morae, not written syllables; H and L mean high and low.

Examples

• 箸はしでご飯はんを食たべます。I eat rice with chopsticks.
• 橋はしを歩あるいて渡わたります。I cross the bridge on foot.
• 飴あめが好すきです。I like sweets.
• 雨あめが降ふっています。It is raining.
• 箸はしがここにあります。There are chopsticks here.
• 橋はしがよく見みえます。I can see a bridge.

Watch out

A final-mora drop becomes clear on the following particle. Dictionaries may use different symbols or list regional and speaker variants, so check their legend and listen to their audio. Sentence intonation can also change the surface pitch.

Try it yourself

1. 箸はし［１］は、どの拍はくの後あとに下さがりますか。（１／２）

   Show answer or example answer

   １

   １: 箸［１］ falls after the first mora, は.

2. 橋はし［２］に「が」を付つけると、「が」は低ひくいですか。（はい／いいえ）

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   はい

   はい: 橋［２］ falls after し, so the following が is low.

3. 飴あめ［０］に「が」を付つけると、「め」の後あとに下さがりますか。（はい／いいえ）

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   いいえ

   いいえ: 飴［０］ has no lexical drop; が remains high in this pattern.

Use it today

Look up each noun and check the dictionary’s region and notation. Say it with が, compare the table, then listen and repeat it in the example sentence.