Did I ever tell you that I’m actually from Osaka? Yes, I am born in Osaka and was raised up in Osaka, thus, I am a native Osaka dialect speaker!
Whenever I go to Tokyo, I always realize how the Japanese used there is different from one I know. People from the west of Japan normally say “関西弁(Kansai-ben)/Kansai dialect” – dialects spoken in the western part of Japan, including “大阪弁(Osaka-ben)/Osaka dialect” – sounds more friendly and nicely than “東京弁(Tokyo-ben)/Tokyo dialect” or “標準語(hyoujyungo)/Standard Japanese“.
But then, people from Tokyo or the eastern part of Japan often say “大阪弁(Osaka-ben)” sounds more rude and noisy than “標準語(hyoujyungo)“.
As every prefecture/region in Japan has its own dialect, even inside Osaka, people speak differently depending on which part of Osaka the person is from.
Today, I will teach you some common phrases of Osaka dialect that you want to know.
おおきに(ookini) = Thank you
This one is one of the very basics. “おおきに(ookini)” means “ありがとう(arigatou)” in Standard Japanese, which means “Thank you” in English. You probably would never hear this phrase in department stores, fancy restaurants, or luxurious hotels. Instead, you might hear it when you go to “市場(ichiba) – local markets” or “居酒屋(izakaya) – Japanese-style bars” in Kansai area. This phrase is very friendly and cozy way to say “ありがとう(arigatou)” in Osaka dialect. “おおきにどうも(ookini doumo)” and “おおきに(ookini)” are equivalent in meaning.
アカン(akan) = No
“アカン(akan)” in Osaka dialect is “ダメ(dame)” in Standard Japanese. This word is used when people want to say “No” to something, or to say “It’s not good”. If you call someone “アカンやつ(akan yatsu)“, that means the person is “useless”.
ええよ(eeyo) = Okay
This one is probably easy to guess. “ええよ(eeyo)” in Osaka dialect is equivalent to “いいよ(iiyo)” in Standard Japanese, which means “Okay” or “Sure”. If someone asks you to lend your pen for a second, you can simply reply “ええよ！(eeyo!)“, which sounds very friendly and means “Of course!” or “Sure!”.
ホンマ(honma) = Really
This word is used widely from young to old, men and women. “ホンマ(honma)” in Osaka dialect is “本当(hontou)” in Standard Japanese, and it means “really”. If you put an intonation of questions at the end of the word and say “ホンマ？(honma?)“, it will be equivalent to “Really?”. You can also use this word as an adverb to exaggerate the word after; for example, “ホンマにすごい(honma ni sugoi)” means “too good”.
めっちゃ(meccha) = Very
“めっちゃ(meccha)” in Osaka dialect means “とても(totemo)” in Standard Japanese, which means “very” in English. This word is often used by young people and sound very casual and informal. If you say “めっちゃ辛い(meccha karai)“, it means “So hot”. You can also use like “めっちゃ好き(meccha suki)“, meaning “I like you/it so much”.
ちゃう(chau) = Wrong
“ちゃう(chau)” in Osaka dialect is “違う(chigau)” in Standard Japanese. This word is probably one of the most famous Osaka-ben known by Japanese. It literally means “wrong”. If you say “ちゃうやん(chau yan)“, it means “That’s wrong!”. And here’s one very popular “ダジャレ(dajyare) / pun” with this word; “これ、チャウチャウ ちゃう？(kore, chauchau chau?)” / “Isn’t this Chow Chow? No?”
せやねん(seyanen) = That’s right
“せやねん(seyanen)” is used when you want to agree to the things told before. It is equivalent to “そうだよ(soudayo)” in Standard Japanese, and means “That’s right” or “Agreed”. There’s actually a TV program named “せやねん！(seyanen!)” in Kansai area; せやねん！ – MBS毎日放送, in case you are in the area and interested.
しゃあない(shaanai) = No choice
“しゃあない(shaanai)” in Osaka dialect considered as same as “仕方ない(shikata nai)” in Standard Japanese. It literally means “It can’t be helped” or “I have no choice”, but could also mean “There you are”, “Give it up”, or “Never mind”, depending on the context. It can be used when you want to comfort your friend who failed an exam and feeling down; “しゃあない！(shaanai!)” meaning “Don’t think too much!” Or if your friend asks you a favor which you’re not willing to accept, but when you finally decided to do it for him/her, you can say, “しゃあないなぁ～(shaanai naa)” – “Alright then”.
どないやねん(donaiyanen) = How come?
“どないやねん(donaiyanen)” is close to “どっちなんだ(docchi nanda)” or “どうなんだ(dou nanda)” in Standard Japanese. You might have already heard this phrase from Japanese comedians on TV. It can mean “How come?”, “What the hell!” or “What are you thinking?” Hmm… to be honest, it’s a little difficult to translate because the meaning varies depending on the context. Let’s say, there are two guys talking, one is explaining about his thoughts but he cannot make any choice, then the other got tired of listening and would say “どないやねん！(donaiyanen!)” – “Give me a break!”.
なんでやねん(nandeyanen) = No way
This one is probably most frequently used by Japanese comedians on TV. “なんでやねん(nandeyanen)” in Osaka dialect is “なぜなんだ(nazenanda)” in Standard Japanese, and literally means “Why is that?”. However, this phrase is used more like an interjection, and it won’t urge people to give responses. A lot of times, the phrase “なんでやねん(nandeyanen)” is used to just make a surprise reaction and meaning “No way!” or “It can’t be!”.
どないしよう(donaishiyou) = Oh my god
“どないしよう(donaishiyou)” is equivalent to “どうしよう(doushiyou)“. You can use this phrase when you don’t know what to do, and it literally means “I don’t know what to do”. When your kid got fussy in front of you and you don’t know what you should do, you can say “どないしよう(donaishiyou)” to yourself, which can mean “Oh my god…” or “Oh no…”.
ほな(hona) = See ya
This one is an easy one! “ほな(hona)” in Osaka dialect is the same as “じゃあ(jyaa)” in Standard Japanese, which means “See you” or “Bye”. You can use this phrase when you say goodbye to someone, and it sounds very casual and Osakan.
しんどい(shindoi) = Feeling dull
“しんどい(shindoi)” is almost as same as “疲れた(tsukareta)” in Standard Japanese. You can use this word when you got tired or you’re feeling dull. If you say “しんどい…(shindoi…)” as if you say “I’m dead…”, you would probably sound like a typical Japanese “サラリーマン(salary-man) – office worker” who overworks.
こしょばい(koshobai) = Ticklish
“こしょばい(koshobai)” is equivalent to “くすぐったい(kusuguttai)“, which means “ticklish”. “こしょばい(koshobai)” is widely used in the western part of Japan, not only in Osaka/Kansai area. The word changes into “こそばい(kosobai)“, “こそばゆい(kosobayui)” or “こちょばい(kochobai)“, depending on the area in Japan.
オカン(okan) = Mom
“オカン(okan)” in Osaka dialect means “お母さん(okaasan)“, which means “mom”. This word normally is used by boys or men. If you are a girl, you may still want to call your mom “オカン(okan)“, but it might sound as if you have a sharp tongue.
オトン(oton) = Dad
In contrast with “オカン(okan)“, the word for “お父さん(otōsan)“, “dad”, is “オトン(oton)” in Osaka dialect. There’s actually a Japanese movie called [東京タワー オカンとボクと、時々、オトン(tokyo tower okan to boku to tokidoki, oton)] (wikipedia – Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad).
ウチ(uchi) = Me (girls only)
“ウチ(uchi)” is the way to call yourself and equal to “私(watashi)“, means “I” or “Me”. This word is very familiar to me since there were a lot of girls using it at school. It is used mainly by girls. However, be careful, this word “ウチ(uchi)” has different meanings in Standard Japanese. If you say “うちに来ない？(uchi ni konai?)“, it means “Do you wanna come to my house?” In this case, “ウチ(uchi)” means “my house”. Also, if you say “ウチは五人家族です(uchi wa goninkazoku desu)“, it means “We are a family of five”, and in this case, “ウチ(uchi)” means more like “My family”.
自分(jibun) = You
This one is a little tricky even to native Japanese speakers. “自分(jibun)” in Osaka dialect sometimes means “あなた(anata)” in Standard Japanese, which means “You”. Now, you might already know the word “自分(jibun)” as “oneself”. In general, it means the person speaking. However, in Osaka dialect, if a person talks to you saying “自分は？(jibun wa?)“, that means he is asking about yourself, not himself, and meaning “What about you?” Confusing, isn’t it?
Do you have your favorite Osaka-ben? Tell us about it in the comment section below!
ほなまたね～！