Kansai-ben [関西弁] is a group of Japanese dialects from the Kansai region that includes Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Shiga, and other provinces. This region has the second most popular dialect in Japan, second only to Kanto.
Currently, it is common to see and associate the Kansai dialect (especially that of Osaka) with comedy, being used as something funny in many animes, games, dramas, etc.
Although most people associate the Osaka dialect as the Kansai dialect of the entire region, technically, each province in the region has its own particular dialect, and the residents take pride in their small particular differences. In this article, we will specifically look at Osaka and Kyoto.
Examples of changes in the Kansai dialect
See below a list of changes that occur between traditional Japanese and the Kansai dialect.
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| Traditional Japanese | Romaji Japanese | Kansai-ben | Kansai-ben romaji |
| ありがとうございます | arigatou(gozaimasu) | おおきに ありがとうさん | ookini / arigatousan |
| おはようございます | ohayou(gozaimasu) | おはようさん | ohayousan |
| 本当 | hontou | ほんま | honma |
| よ！ | yo | で！ | de! |
| 本当だよ！ | hontoudayo! | ほんまやで！ | honmayade! |
| そうだ | souda | せや | seya |
| いくら | ikura | なんぼ | nanbo |
| じゃあ | jyaa | ほな | hona |
| いい | ii | ええ | ee |
| だめ | dame | あかん | akan |
| ということは | toiukotowa | っちゅうことは | ttchyuukotowa |
| ということだ | toiukotoda | ちゅうこっちゃ | Chuukotcha |
| だろう | darou | やろう | yarou |
| ね | ne | な | na |
| 知ってる | Shitteru | 知っとる | Shittoru |
| 京都へ行きます | Kyōto e ikimasu | 京都へ行ってはる | Kyōto e itte haru |
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| Kansai | Tokyo | Portuguese |
| Chau Akan Meccha wakarahen Aho | Chigau Dame Tottemo wakaranai baka | Different / Wrong Not good / Cannot Very Don’t understand Idiot |
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| rude | informal | Polite – desu | Polite – gozaimasu | Formal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka | ja | ya | dasu | de omasu | de gozaimasu |
| Kyoto | dosu | de osu |
| Ending | use | See | Eat | Do | Come | -te form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original verb | tsukau | miru | taberu | suru | kuru | -teru |
| -naharu | tsukainaharu | minaharu | tabenaharu | shinaharu | kinaharu | -tenaharu |
| -haru in Kyoto | tsukawaharu | miharu | tabeharu | shiharu | kiharu | -taharu |
| -haru in Osaka | tsukaiharu | -teharu | ||||
| -yaharu | miyaharu | tabeyaharu | shiyaharu | kiyaharu | -teyaharu | |
| -te ya | tsukoote ya | あかん ya | tabete ya | shite ya | pipa ya | -totte ya |
Curiosities about Kansai-ben
- In Kyoto, the word です can become どす
- The verb: tsukau (to use) becomes tsukawan, tsukawahen, tsukaehen.
- The verb: miru (to see) becomes min, miyahen, meehen, and miihin
Researching and writing about the Kansai dialect is something complex and complicated; there is much more information about the Kansai dialect than about the Fukuoka dialect. Explaining all the details and curiosities of a dialect is quite complicated; there is a website specialized only in the Kansai dialect, you can access it by clicking here.
If you watch the anime Detective Conan, you will certainly notice the difference between dialects and the Kansai dialect; one of the important characters in the series, Hattori Heiji, is from Kansai, and we can immediately notice the difference in language. If you can read a little kanji, notice the comic strip below showing Hattori’s friend Kazuha speaking in the Kansai dialect.
What did you think of the Kansai-ben dialect? Did you like the article? If you did, leave your comments and share with friends. Thank you and see you in the next article.
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