• f314@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      You’re right, but they’re pronounced a bit softer than in most European languages for example, and often approach an «L» sound in practice. But yeah, saying they don’t have them might have been a bit too simplistic.

      • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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        3 days ago

        Oh so that’s what rhotic means. But yeah the only consonant sound that Japanese has that isn’t followed by a vowel is ん, which makes an “n” sound (though is often used for any “m” sounds preceding other consonants in loanwords).

        Although the “u” sound is often unvoiced, so usually what they do is use the letter in which the necessary consonant is followed by an “u”. For example く, す, つ, ぬ, ふ, む, ゆ, る as well as ぐ, ず, ぶ, and ぷ.

        So yeah, “hanbaagaa” is a lot better than “hamuburuguru” which would be the other way it could be written (but isn’t).

        It’s also sometimes spelled “hanbaagu”, but this might have a slightly different meaning. I’ve only seen it spelled that way in certain restaurants where it’s basically a patty served on a plate without the bun. They can do some really creative things with it though, depending on what else is on the plate.

        • SuperApples@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          You’re spot on - ~ga is with bun, ~gu is without. I’m a fan on the Bikkuri Donki Cheese-in Hamburg (hamburger patty with cheese in the middle, covered with cheese for the 2x cheese version).

          • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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            3 days ago

            Is that from Donki Hote? I don’t think it’s ever ate there, but I had the chiizu-in hambaagu from Gasto a few times

            • SuperApples@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              Bikkuri Donki is a “steak” family restaurant similar to Gusto. The decor is always old wood and wild west knickknacks. Probably my #4 family restaurant.

              I’ve never eaten at the Don Quixote cafe; I’ve never actually seen one in Japan, only Singapore, and there’s better food to prioritise there 😅.

              Over the last few years I’ve done occasional grocery shopping at Don Quixote in Japan though which still feels weird because they used to sell only sweets and drinks - it’s just odd buying fresh spinach from the blue penguin store that sells PlayStations and vibrators.