Japanese/Dialects/Kyushu

These examples are mainly from Hakata-ben (博多弁 Fukuoka dialect).


an sa instead of ano ne (hey, listen up...)

asobanne instead of asobou (let's play)

batten instead of da kedo (but)

da ken instead of da kara (therefore)

yokaroumon instead of yoi deshou (good, don't you think?)

bari instead of totemo (very)

shitoocchan instead of shiterunda (I've done/finished it)

shiyoocchan instead of shiterunda (I'm doing it)

~shitokiiyo instead of shite okinasai (please do ~; used with children)

tottouto instead of totte imasu (to take)

yokka yokka instead of daijoubu (ok; no problem)


To form affirmative sentences, add ~bai to end of the standard Japanese sentence. Tokyo ni iku yo = Tokyo ni iku bai. (I go to Tokyo.)

To form interrogative sentences, add ~to to end of the standard Japanese sentence. Doko ni iku no? = Doko ni iku to? (Where do you go to?)

For adjectives only, change the last ~i of the adjective to ~ka when expressing one word. Sore wa minikui. = Sore wa miniku ka. (That's ugly.)


Useful words: I/ me = uchi (Mainly used by women) you = aata no = innya yes = yoka like = suitoh don't like = sukan


I like Hakata ben. =Hakata ben suitoh. (in Hakata ben)

Kagoshima ben is difficult. =Kagoshima ben'na mutsukashika. (in old Hakata ben)

I will be right there! =ima kara kukken!


in Japanese with (.au) audio files http://www.fjct.fit.ac.jp/JP/hakataben.html


Dialects of Northern Kyushu (in English)

http://adtimmering.net/en/kyushu/