Have you heard of Uchinaguchi [沖縄口 / ウチナーグチ]? This is the name of the dialect of the Okinawa [沖縄県] archipelago, a group of tropical islands located in the far south of Japan. It can also be called Okinawa-Go 沖縄語 – Language of Okinawa.
Among all the Japanese dialects, the one from Okinawa is probably the least known and studied among Japanese and foreigners, becoming almost a completely different language from standard Japanese.
To make it even more difficult, Okinawa encompasses several local dialects, some of which are even endangered. In this article, we will learn some words from this dialect and some curiosities related to the Okinawan language.
Read also:
- Ichariba Choode – The union in Okinawa proverbs
- Okinawa – The archipelago of multi culture
- Goya Chanpuru – A bitter dish from Okinawa
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Curiosities about the Okinawan Dialect – Uchinaguchi
There is not enough information on the Internet about the Okinawan Dialect. Compared to the Kansai and Hakata dialects, the amount of articles, videos, historical records, documentaries, detailed explanations, dictionaries, and works done on the subject is quite scarce. Even in manga and anime, it is much more common to find expressions from the Osaka dialect (Kansai-ben) or other dialects, while Uchinaguchi hardly appears. Probably, one of the reasons would be the fact that if there were manga written entirely in uchinaguchi, it would hinder the reading of the manga by the Japanese themselves, who do not understand the dialect.
However, there are some books and articles about the Ryukyuan and Okinawan languages that can be of great use to the more curious Japanese student, although most are written in English.
If you are interested in learning a considerable number of words from Okinawa, with equivalent synonyms in standard nihongo, you can access the website https://hougen.ajima.jp/ (it is all in Japanese). There is a lot of cool content on it.
Curiosities:
- If you want to say “Hello” in Okinawa, you need to pay attention to a small but important detail. Men say はいさい (Haisai) and women say はいたい (Haitai) when they want to express “Hello.” Haisai (male) and Haitai (female) are two different ways to say “Hello,” considered a fundamental greeting that can be used at any time of the day.
- The inhabitants of Okinawa refer to the rest of the Japanese island as “Naichi” – ナイチ, which means something like “main island” or “continent” (mainland in English). This term is also used by the natives of Hokkaido (the northern island of the country).
- “I” in Uchinaguchi is said as ワン (wan). Another way to say “I” that adds to the immense list of possibilities!
- “Sanshin” (三線、さんしん) is the name of a typical musical instrument from Okinawa. It literally means “three strings,” formed by the kanji for the number 3 (三) and the kanji for “line” or “string” (線). It is also known as the precursor of the Shamisen (三味線, しゃみせん).
- The pronunciation of many words in Okinawan sounds similar to the pronunciation of Korean and Chinese words.
- When a television program from the main island (Japan) is broadcasting an Okinawan speaking, the program directors usually put “translated” subtitles into standard Japanese (known as Hyojungo).
Words and Expressions from the Okinawan Dialect
- ちゅー・うがなびら – Chuu Uganabira – Hello or Good Afternoon.
- にふぇーでーびる – Nifee Deebiru – Thank you (there are also other ways to say Thank you in Okinawa, more polite).
- うちなんちゅ – Uchinanchu – People of Okinawa (“uchinanchu” is the way to refer to the natives of Okinawa).
- ンジチャービラ – Nji Chaabira – See you later (equivalent to “Jya ne” – じゃあね in standard Japanese).
- めんそーれー – Mensooree – Welcome (equivalent to “Youkoso” – ようこそ in standard Japanese).
- うちな – Uchina – “Uchina” means Okinawa. It is the word that refers to the island itself.
- なんくるないさ – Nankurunaisa – Has a meaning close to “Daijoubu” (大丈夫) which means “All good” or “Don’t worry.” However, it has a deeper nuance, as it carries an idea of optimism and joy, something very characteristic of the inhabitants of Okinawa. It came from a more complex phrase and is not usually used as much as “Daijoubu” in everyday conversations. In summary, we should keep in mind that it is an optimistic expression that brings a good feeling of willpower and confidence in a good future ahead.
- カリー – Karii – It is the term used at the time of the toast. Equivalent to 乾杯 (かんぱい, Kanpai).
- 長ーさやー (なげえさやあ) – Nagee Sayaa – Long time no see! Similar to お久しぶり (おひさしぶり, ohisashiburi).
- チャーガンジューネー? – Chaa Ganjuu nee? – How are you? How are you? (in health). Very similar to お元気ですか (おげんきですか, O genki desu ka) or 元気にしてるの (げんきにしてるの, genki ni shiteru no).
- ワッサイビーン – Wassai Biin – Sorry. Forgive me. Excuse me. Equivalent to ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) or すみません (sumimasen) standard.
- まーさん – Maa San – Tasty. Delicious. Equivalent to うまい (umai) or 美味しい (おいしい, oishii).
- アマンカイ – Amankai – Over there. Equivalent to あっちへ (acchi he) or あちらへ (achira he).
- クマンカイ – Kumankai – Over here. Equivalent to こっちへ (kocchi he) or こちらへ (kochira he).
There are other important words and expressions from Uchinaguchi to study, so I intend to update the information in this article over time, adding new ones as I learn.
Live explaining in-depth the Okinawan Dialect
On the YouTube channel “123 Japanese,” an online Japanese language school, you can watch a complete live stream of over an hour of content detailing the specifics of Uchinaguchi. In the video, Professor Takashi Yamanishi interviews Sansei Akira Uema, grandson of Okinawa inhabitants.
Watch below, subscribe to the 123 Japanese channel, and leave your like there too:
Other Dialects of Japan
- Osaka Dialect
- Hakata Dialect
- Kagoshima Dialect
- Tohoku Dialect
- Tsugaru Dialect
- Nagasaki Dialect
- Hiroshima Dialect
Want to know about another dialect? Feel free to suggest!
JLect – Online Dialect Dictionary
Jlect is a website that functions as an online dictionary. You can type words from different dialects, and you can also select which region of the word you want to research. It is possible to search in English, romaji, or Japanese (hiragana, katakana, and kanji). It is an extremely intuitive and easy-to-use tool. To not be dependent on Jisho and refine the search for expressions from different dialects, JLect is the ideal option.
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