Japanese tongue twisters

This is a page of Japanese tongue twisters　(早口言葉 - hayakuchi kotoba). Use these tongue twisters to improve flexibility in the mouth, lips, and jaw. Tongue twisters help improve diction and enunciation, as well as the ability to properly form vowels in order to produce a clearer tone.

• 隣の客はよく柿食う客だ - tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da

  The neighbors' visitor eats a lot of persimmons.

• 東京特許許可局 - toukyou tokkyo kyokakyoku

  Tokyo Special Patent Approval office.

• 竹薮に竹立て掛けたのは竹立て掛けたかったからだ - takeyabu ni take tate kaketano wa take tate kaketakatta kara da

  I put a bamboo against the bamboo bush because I wanted to put a bamboo against the bamboo bush.

• 生麦生米生卵 - namamugi namagome namatamago

  Raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg

• 赤巻紙青巻紙黄巻紙 - akamakigami aomakigami kimakigami

  Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper

• バスガス爆発ブスバスガイド - basu gasu bakuhatsu busu basu gaido

  Bus gas explosion ugly bus guide.

• 裏庭には二羽、庭には二羽、鶏あり - uraniwa niwa niwa, niwa niwa niwa, niwatori ari

  In the back yard there are two chickens and in the front yard there are two chickens.

• 瓜売りが瓜売りに来て瓜売れず売り売りかえる瓜売りの声 - uriuri ga uri urini kite uri urezu uri uri kaeru uriuri no koe

  A melon vender came to sell melons, but no melon was sold.

• 坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた - bōzu ga byōbu ni jōzu ni bōzu no e wo kaita

  The monk drew a picture of a monk on the folding screen very well.

• 武具馬具、武具馬具、三武具馬具、あわせて武具馬具、六武具馬具 - bugubagu, bugubagu, mibugubagu, awasete bugubagu, mubugubagu

  ?

• ラバかロバかロバかラバか分からないので　ラバとロバを比べたらロバかラバか分からなかった - raba ga roba ka roba ka raba ka wakaranai no de raba to roba wo kurabetara roba ka raba ka wakaranakatta

  ?

• 客が柿食や飛脚が柿食う飛脚が柿食や客も柿食う 客も飛脚もよく柿食う客飛脚 - kyaku ga kakiku ya hikyaku ga kakikuu hikyaku ga kakiku ya kyaku mo kakikuu kyaku mo hikyaku mo yoku kakikuu kyakuhikyaku

  ?

• ブタがブタをぶったらぶたれたブタがぶったブタをぶったので　ぶったブタとぶたれたブタがぶったおれた - buta ga buta wo buttara butareta buta ga butta buta wo butta no de butta buta to butareta buta ga butta oreta

  ?

• 分かった？　分からない？　分かったら　分かった　と　分からなかったら　分からなかった　と　言わなかったら　分かったか　分からなかったか　分からない　じゃないか　分かった？ - Wakatta? Wakaranai? wakattara wakatta to wakaranakattara wakaranakatta to iwanakattara wakattaka wakaranakattaka wakaranai janaika wakatta?

  Did you get it? you didn't? If you did, tell me you did, if you didn't tell me you didn't, or I never know whether you did or not, got it?
  Youtube video

• 蛙ぴゃこぴゃこ三ぴゃこぴゃこ合わせてぴゃこぴゃこ六ぴゃこぴゃこ

  frog ribbits, 3 ribbits, together they ribbit, 6 ribbits

• 鹿もカモシカも鹿である、しかしアシカはたしか鹿ではない - shika mo kamoshika mo shika de aru, shikashi ashika wa tashika shika de wa nai

  Both deer and serrows are deer, however sea lions are surely not deer

See also

• Resources for Learning Japanese