I have been learning and speaking the language for a while and, while most of the pronunciation is fairly straightforward, I can hear but cannot quite reproduce the sound heard in words like 千円 or 専用. Does anyone have tips on making this sound? Any time I try it sounds incorrect.
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I was thinking how one can explain it, and you’re right, it seems pretty hard to explain. It’s defiintely not N (as my tongue does not touch palate) but not necessarily M neither (as I can say it without closing my lips at all). I feel like I’m making sound at ~~the back of throat?~~ nah I think it’s vocal code. Not the answer to your question but if I had to choose in between N and M anyways for the purpose of making natives able to pick up what’s meant to be said, then M is definitely better (well for me anyways).
I noticed English speakers often drop them out, and so I was wondering why exactly that’s the case, but I suppose it’s natural as the sound of ん itself is pretty hard to grasp?
It becomes nasalized
I reckon that if you’re asking this question, OP, you’re on the right track (meaning you are really listening).
ん at its default is not an English N or M, it’s closest to an NG but without as much rise in the tongue—like an NG where your **tongue is really lazy**, yet you still manage to get the resonance in your sinuses. That’s what you aim for with 千 or 円 when they stand alone. When they come together, in 千円, that lazy-but-slight rise at the back of your tongue ends up giving a hint of Y a sound (because a Y sound by itself tenses your tongue in a similar way, but more.)
Does that help?
https://youtube.com/shorts/RfTz-luQzlQ?feature=share