What the.. [Archive] - Japan Forum

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Matsuyuu
Aug 17, 2003, 00:55
Okay, I'm learning the last 10 or 12 characters of Hiragana, and I went to a website on Japanese grammar: something's got me stumped:
(わたしは watashi wa ) means 'I' (は wa) means 'topic)'
Now, I thought わ meant "wa" and は mean "ha." Am I wrong?! Here's another one.
(みせ へ mise e ) means 'store' with the directional particle (へ e )
Doesn't え mean "e?!" Isn't へ "he?!" Am I missing something?

Elizabeth
Aug 17, 2003, 01:22
Well, it's pretty simple actually. As particles, は (ha) is pronounced "wa" and "へ" becomes "e." I believe Ha and He are probably based on archaic readings, although you still find them a lot in some styles of romaji today.