• thevoidzero@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      suki vs tsuki. I can’t pronounce it but I think the japanese can. tsunami is basically tsuki+nami = moon + wave

      Edit: I was wrong. Just wanted to use an example word people know with tsu sound.

      • Phoenix3875@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        Tsunami つなみ 津波 is composed of

        • tsu つ 津, wharf, a place to park boats
        • nami なみ 波, tide, wave

        So it’s high waves from a wharf. It’s not a tide since having a tsunami every month would be devastating…

        See https://gogen-yurai.jp/tsunami/

        • thevoidzero@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          Thank you. I should have just said tsu is in the tsunami similarly but in English we learn t is silent because we can’t pronounce it.