ァ

See also: ア

Japanese

Etymology 1

Small form of the katakana character ア (a).

Combining form

1. Small combining form of katakana ア (a) used to explicitly specify the vowel part of the previous katakana character, or to show a speaker's pronunciation or extension of that vowel.

   ファ - the sound [ɸa] rather than [ɸu] (フ) or [ha] (ハ)

   ファン - transliteration of English fan

Usage notes

The katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of gairaigo (loan words), as well as to represent onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. It is also occasionally used in some words for emphasis, or to ease reading; katakana may be preferred for words becoming buried in the text if they are written under their canonical form in hiragana. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words such as colloquial terms, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. Formerly, female given names were often written in katakana.^[edit]

Related terms

• ぁ (hiragana small a)
• ア (full-size a)

See also

• (Katakana) 片仮名; アァ, イィ, ウゥヴ, エェ(𛀀), オォ, カヵガ, キギ, クㇰグ, ケヶゲ, コ𛅕 (𛅕)ゴコ゚, サザ, シㇱジ, スㇲズ, セゼ, ソゾ, タダ, チヂ, ツッヅ, テデ, トㇳド, ナ, ニ, ヌㇴ, ネ, ノ, ハㇵバパ, ヒㇶビピ, フㇷブプ, ヘㇸベペ, ホㇹボポ, マ, ミ, ムㇺ, メ, モ, ヤャ, 𛄠 (𛄠), ユュ, エ/𛄡 (𛄡), ヨョ, ラㇻラ゚, リㇼリ゚, ルㇽル゚, レㇾレ゚, ロㇿロ゚, ワヮヷ, ヰ𛅤 (𛅤)ヸ, 𛄢 (𛄢), ヱ𛅥 (𛅥)ヹ, ヲ𛅦 (𛅦)ヺ, ン𛅧 (𛅧), ー, ヽ, ヾヿ

• (Southern Min additional) ウ̅ゥ̅, オ̅, カ̣,キ̣, ク̣, ケ̣, コ̣, サ̅サ̣̅, セ̅セ̣̅, ソ̅ソ̣̅, タ̣, チ̣, チ̅チ̣̅, ツ̣ツ̅ツ̣̅, テ̣, ト̣, パ̣, ピ̣, プ̣, ペ̣, ポ̣, 𚿰𚿷, 𚿱𚿸, 𚿲𚿺, 𚿳𚿻, 𚿵𚿽, 𚿶𚿾,

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• ゃ

Particle

ァ

1. Slurred form of は (wa).
   • William Shakespeare (translator (deprecated template usage) 坪内逍遙), 『ロミオとヂュリエット』

     「はて、立(た)つと言(い)へば不動(ゐすわり)ぢゃがや。不動(ゐすわり)は立(たち)往(わう)生(じゃう)ぢゃ。出(で)向(むか)うて往(ゆ)かけんけりゃ鬪(けん)爭(くわ)にァならぬわい。」
     「はて、飼犬(いぬ)を見(み)たゞけでも向(むか)うてゆくわい。モンタギューの奴(やつ)等(ら)と見(み)りゃ、男(をとこ)でも女(をんな)でも關(かま)うたことァない。」

     "Hate, tatsu to ieba isuwari ja ga ya. Isuwari wa tachiōjō ja. Demukōteyukakenkerya kenka nya naranu wai."
     "Hate, inu wo mita dake de mo mukōteyuku wai. Montagyū no yatsura to mirya, otoko de mo onna de mo kamauta kotwa nai."

     "To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand. Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away."
     "A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's."