Recognising Japanese dialect in media

The idea

In some Kansai speech, ほんま can mean “really”, あかん “no good”, and なんぼ “how much”. Watch who speaks, to whom and in what situation; subtitles may paraphrase rather than preserve the exact wording. Examples below are standard Japanese.

Examples

• 映画えいがの登場人物とうじょうじんぶつは、関西かんさいの言葉ことばを話はなします。A character in the film speaks a Kansai variety.
• 字幕じまくを見みて、意味いみを考かんがえます。I look at the subtitles and think about the meaning.
• 同おなじ言葉ことばでも、人ひとによって使つかい方かたが違ちがいます。Even the same word is used differently by different people.
• 声こえの高たかさにも違ちがいがあります。There are differences in voice pitch too.
• 友達ともだちに言葉ことばの意味いみを聞ききます。I ask a friend what a word means.
• 場面ばめんを見みて、話はなし方かたを考かんがえます。I look at the scene and think about the way of speaking.

Watch out

A character’s speech is a constructed representation, not proof that everyone in a region speaks or behaves alike. Forms and registers vary.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the Japanese term for “Kansai: really or true”: （ほんま／あかん）

   Show answer or example answer

   ほんま

   ほんま means “Kansai: really or true”; あかん means “Kansai: no good”.

2. Choose the Japanese term for “Kansai: no good”: （あかん／なんぼ）

   Show answer or example answer

   あかん

   あかん means “Kansai: no good”; なんぼ means “Kansai: how much”.

3. Choose the Japanese term for “Kansai: how much”: （なんぼ／ほんま）

   Show answer or example answer

   なんぼ

   なんぼ means “Kansai: how much”; ほんま means “Kansai: really or true”.

Use it today

Choose a fictional scene, identify one regional clue and explain what the context tells you.