“ Ookini” is the English equivalent of “thanks!” It’s an informal way of saying thanks. Image Source Osaka-Ben Dialect #3 Ookini - おおきに If you hear someone using the phrase honmani, you can be sure they’re from the Kansai region. Like this, you can also use “honmani” without the particle “に”. It’s essentially the Osaka version of “hontouni”, or “hontou” in standard Japanese. “honma ni?” It can also be used if something exciting happens and you’re in disbelief. For example, if someone tells you something that you have a hard time believing, respond with.
It means “really?” and can be used with an inquisitive tone or used as a response to something unbelievable. “ Honma ni” is an iconic phrase that the people of Osaka use. Image Source Osaka-Ben Dialect #2 Honmani - ほんまに You may be surprised to hear it all over Japan! That is how common this word is used! This is one of those Osaka-ben dialects that have become widespread. Open up Instagram and you’ll see a photo with #meccha oisii (very delicious). You’ll find that the younger generation use this a lot, regardless of the region they are from. A common phrase you might hear people say is “meccha kawaii”, meaning “very cute” or “meccha kakkoii”, meaning “very cool!” You can literally add it to any adjective. Therefore, avoid using it in a very formal setting.Īs it is used to emphasize, it’s a word that is very often used in conversation. It has the same meaning as the word “totemo” but compared to “totemo”, “meccha” is very casual and is used to emphasize. Meccha, is an Osaka-ben dialect word that means “very”. Image Source Osaka-Ben Dialect #1 Meccha - めっちゃ You might have heard some before!īut without further ado, here are 10 useful Osaka-ben dialect words and phrases that you should know and you can use when you are mingling with locals in Osaka! They have popularized many common Osaka-ben dialect phrases. The spread of the Osaka-ben dialect is due to the famous comedians who are from Osaka. Certain phrases are now commonly used everywhere. Japanese people acknowledge the people of Osaka and Osaka-ben's friendly, playful, and comedic nature.Īnother important thing to know is that Osaka-ben is actually quite well known and used.
Compared to the standard, Osaka-ben has more relaxed sounds and words that could seem aggressive at first, but are actually said in a playful way. If you listen to the people of Osaka, you will find that intonations they use are a quite different from standard Japanese. While they are similar, be careful of certain phrases and words that won’t mean the same in other Kansai region cities. Osaka-ben is a variation of Kansai-ben, which is the Kansai dialect spoken inside the Kansai region. The dialect in Osaka is called Osaka-ben and it has its own share of unique intonations, unique words, and phrases. We have Hyojun go, which is the standard Japanese that everyone can understand, and is generally spoken in Tokyo. There are dialects that are so different that they seem like they are speaking another language, to ones that are relatively similar to standard Japanese. Despite being a relatively small country, there are many dialects spoken across Japan.