Tips on How to Memorize the One Syllable Cards
Tips on How to Memorize the One Syllable Cards
In Karuta, the one syllable cards, or 一字決まり(ichi-ji kimari), are cards that can be taken after hearing just the first syllable. The reason these cards are identifiable by their first syllable is because for each of these cards, its corresponding poem is the only poem in the Hyakunin Isshu anthology which starts with that syllable.
There are only 7 cards which start out as ichi-ji kimari. These one syllable cards are mu, su, me, fu, sa, ho, and se. Here are each card's tori-fuda and mnemonics to remember the card:
*Remember that tori-fuda are read starting from top to bottom, and right to left. Most mnemonics I use will focus on the hiragana in the top right corner of each card.
**Also take note that for these mnemonics, I tend to use the pronunciation of the hiragana written on the tori-fuda, even though that isn't always the actual pronunciation of the second half of the poem. See my other blog posts for more information on the full poems.
Mu
mu ➝ ki
If you know Japanese, you can imagine "ムキムキの人（ひと）"(a muscular person).
If you want an English mnemonic, imagine "murky mist on a mountain"
If you want an English mnemonic, imagine "murky mist on a mountain"
Su
su ➝ yume
If you know Japanese, you can think "スーさんのゆめ." (Sue's dream)
If you want an English mnemonic, think "This is Sue, have you met her?"
Me
め ➝ くもか
me ➝ kumoka
If you know Japanese, you can think "目、雲隠れ" (eye, hidden by clouds)
If you want an English mnemonic, think "Meg drinks cool mochas."
Fu
fu ➝ muhe
If you know Japanese, you can think "踏む部屋" (Step, room)
In English, you can remember "The wind goes 'FUU' on Mube Mountain". In this case, this mnemonic comes directly from the meaning of the poem.
*(I took this idea from Brazil's Karuta club website, which you can find a link to below!)
In English, you can remember "The wind goes 'FUU' on Mube Mountain". In this case, this mnemonic comes directly from the meaning of the poem.
*(I took this idea from Brazil's Karuta club website, which you can find a link to below!)
Sa
sa ➝ itsuko
If you prefer Japanese, you can think that someone is asking you how many donuts (or whatever) you want and you reply "さー、いっこちょうだい？”(Hmmm, I'll take one please)
This poem is about feeling lonely in the fall, so the mnemonic I thought of was:
"I'm sad because it's cold out.
Ho
ho ➝ tata
In Japanese, the second half actually starts tada, so in Japanse you can remember it as "このほんはただです"（This book is free of charge).
This one was also hard to make in English, but the best one I could think of was:
"This horse is a tap dancer! Listen to it go 'tata'".
This one was also hard to make in English, but the best one I could think of was:
"This horse is a tap dancer! Listen to it go 'tata'".
Se
se ➝ ware
In Japanese, you can remember this one with the mnemonic: "背割れ" (broken back)
Ware was hard to put in English so I made two somewhat sub-par options:
Ware was hard to put in English so I made two somewhat sub-par options:
"Seth lost his wallet." or "Seth has a warrant out for his arrest."
Some of these ideas were borrowed from other Japanese websites where you can find tips in Japanese on learning the kimari-ji. Here are two websites that I used for references:
1) https://www.karuta.org/practice/learn.html
2) http://karuta.game.coocan.jp/handbook
1) https://www.karuta.org/practice/learn.html
2) http://karuta.game.coocan.jp/handbook
I borrowed some ideas from another good resource, Brazil's Meguriai Karuta club. The website is written in Portuguese but can be translated to English fairly accurately using Google translate:
3) https://meguriaikai.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/silabas-unicas/
3) https://meguriaikai.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/silabas-unicas/
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