A collection of useful phrases in Okinawan, a Ryukyuan language spoken on Okinawa in Japan.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
Key to abbreviations: m = said by males, f = said by females, (Shuri) = Shuri dialect, inf = informal, frm = formal, vfrm = very formal, plt = polite, col = colloquial
| English | 沖縄口 Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | めんそーれー (mensooree) |
| Hello (General greeting) | 今日拝なびら (chuu wuganabira) はいさい (haisai) m はいたい (haitai) f へーさい (heesai) m (Shuri) へーたい (heetai) f (Shuri) 今日や早く起きそーいびーんやー (chuuya feeku ukisooibiinyaa) - frm (lit. You're early today) |
| Hello (on phone) | もしもし (moshi moshi) |
| How are you? | 頑丈やみ? (ganjuu yami?) - inf 頑丈やいびーみ? (ganjuu yaibiimi?) - frm 頑丈やみしぇーみ? (ganjuu yamisheemi?) - vfrm |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | |
| Long time no see | 長ーさやー nageesayaa 拝ん遠さいびーたん (wuganduusaibiitan) 拝ん遠さぬ (wuganduusanu) 拝ん遠ーさ(wuganduusa) 拝ん遠さいびーやー (wugandiisaibiiyaa) 見ー遠さんやー (miiduusanyaa) 見ー遠さいびーんやー (miiduusaibiinyaa) |
| What's your name? | う名前や何やいびーが? (u naamee ya nuu yaibiiga?) 御所何んでぃ言ちょーいびーが？ (unju nuu ndi ichooibiiga?) |
| My name is ... | ... やん (... yan) - inf ... やいびーん (... yaibiin) - frm 我ー名前や ... やいびーん (waa naamee ya ... yaibiin) - frm 我ー名前や ... やん (waa naamee ya ... yan) - inf 我んねー、 ... んでぃ言るむんやいびーん (wannee ... (n)diirumun yaibiin) 我んねー……. んでぃ言ちょーいびーん (wannee ... (n)di ichooibiin) |
| Where are you from? | まーからやいびーが (maa kara yaibiiga?) - inf まーから来ゃーびてぃい (maa kara chaabiti i?) - frm |
| I'm from ... | 我んねー……からやいびーん (wannee …..kara yaibiin) - inf 我んねー……. から来ゃーびたん (wannee ….kara chaabitan) - frm |
| Pleased to meet you | 初みてぃ拝なびら (hajimiti wuganabira) 初みてぃやいびーん (hajimitiyaibiin) 初みてぃやいびーんやーさい (hajimiti yaibiinyaasai) - m 初みてぃやいびーんやーたい (hajimiti yaibiinyaatai) - f 初みてぃでーびーる (hajimiti deebiru) |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
起きみそーちー (ukimisoochii) 起きみしぇーびてぃ (ukimisheebiti) - frm 起きてぃ (ukiti) - inf |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
|
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
|
| Good night | う憩いみしぇーびり (uyukuimisheebiri) - frm う憩いみそーれー (uyukuimisooree) - inf |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
今から行じ来ゅーん (namakara nji chuun) I'll be back - you are leaving (inf) 今から行じ来ゃーびら (namakara nji chaabira) I'll be back - you are leaving (frm) いめんしぇーびり (imensheebiri) come back soon - you are staying (frm) めんそーれー (mensooree) come back soon - you are staying (inf) 行じめんそーれー (nji mensooree) come back soon - you are staying (inf) 行じめんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri) come back soon - you are staying (frm) 御無礼さびら (guburii sabira) 行じ来ゃーびら (njichaabira) 暇拝なびら (ituma wuganabira) 又ん御行会ー拝なびら (mata n wuichee wuganabira) lit. let's meet again (frm) 又ん御行会ー拝ま (mata n wuichee wugama) lit. let's meet again (inf) また明日拝ま (mata acha wugama) lit. let's meet again tomorrow (inf) また明日拝なびら (mata acha wuganabira) lit. let's meet again tomorrow (frm) 行会ー拝なびら (ichee wuganabira) - frm 行会ー拝ま (ichee wugama) - inf |
| Good luck! | |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
嘉例 (karii) |
| Have a nice day | |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
うさがいみそーれー (usagaimisooree) said by the cook/chef - frm くゎっちーさびれえ (kwatchiisabiree) - frm うさがいみしぇーびり (usagaimisheebiri) - frm くゎっち一さびら (kwatchiisabira) said before a meal by those eating it くゎっち一さび一たん (kwatchiisabiitan) said after a meal by those who have eaten it |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
行じ、めんそーれー (nji mensooree) - Go & come back - inf 行じ、めんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri) - Go & come back - frm 道をぅてー車んかい良ーさ (michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusa) lit. be good on your car while on the road - inf 道をぅてー車んかい良ーさびら (michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusabira) - lit. be good on your car while on the road - frm |
| I don't understand | 分かやびらん (wakayabiran) - frm 分からん (wakaran) - inf |
| Please speak more slowly | よ一んな一話し吳みしぇーびり (yoonnaa hanashi kwimisheebiri) - frm よ一んな一話し吳みそーり (yoonnaa hanashi kwimisooree) - pl よ一んな一話し吳りよ (yoonnaa hanashi kwiriyo) - inf |
| Please write it down | 書ち吳みしぇーびり (kachi kwimisheebiri) - frm 書ち吳みそーり (kachi kwimisoori) - pl 書ち吳りよ (kachi kwiriyo) - inf |
| Do you speak Okinawan? | 沖縄口話さび一み？ (uchinaaguchi hanasabiimi?) - frm 沖縄口話すみ (uchinaaguchi hanasumi?) - inf 沖縄口話しゆ一さび一み？ (uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusabiimi?) - inf 沖縄口話しゆ一すみ？ (uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusumi?) - inf 沖縄口ぬ話しやび一み？ (uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyabiimi?) - frm 沖縄口ぬ話しゆみ？ (uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyumi?) - inf |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
う一、うふぇ一話さび一ん (uu, ufee hanasabiin) - frm う一、うふぇ一話すん (uu, ufee hanasun) - inf う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一さび一ん (uu, ufee hanashiyuusabiin) - frm う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一すん (uu, ufee hanashiyuusun) - inf う一、うふぇ一話しやび一ん (uu, ufee hanashiyabiin) - frm う一、うふぇ一話しゆん (uu, ufee hanashiyun) - inf |
| How do you say ... in Okinawan? | ．．．沖縄口っし何んでぃ言いびーが。 (... uchinaaguchi sshi nuu ndi 'yuibiiga?) |
| Excuse me | 御無礼さびたん (guburii sabitan) 御無礼さびら (guburii sabira) |
| How much is this? | くれーちゃっさやいびーが? (kuree chassa yaibiiga?) - col/frm くれーちゃっさやが? (kuree chassa yaga?) col/inf |
| Sorry | 悪さいびーん (wassaibiin) |
| Thank you | 御拝でーびーる (nifee deebiiru) - frm 御拝どー(nifee doo) - inf 一杯御拝でーびーる (ippee nifee deebiiru) |
| Reply to thank you | |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | |
| This lady will pay for everything | |
| Would you like to dance with me? | まじゅん踊いびらに。 (majun wuduibirani?) |
| I love you | 好ちゅさ一(shichusaa) 我んね一御所愛さんでぃ思と一いび一ん (wannee unju kanasa ndi umutooibiin) - frm |
| Get well soon | |
| Leave me alone! | |
| Help! | 助きてぃ! (tashikiti!) |
| Fire! | 火事やん! (kwaji yan!) |
| Stop! | |
| Call the police! | 警察呼でぃ吳みしぇーびり! (kiisachi yudi kwimisheebiri!) - frm 警察呼でぃ吳みそーり! (kiisachi yudi kwimisoori!) - pl 警察呼でぃ吳りよ! (kiisachi yudi kwiriyo!) - inf |
| Christmas greetings | メリークリスマス (merī kurisumasu) |
| New Year greetings | 良い正月でーびーる。 (ii soogwachi deebiiru) - used before New Year |
| Birthday greetings | う生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら (u umaribii kariyushi unnukiyabira) う誕生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら (utanjoobi kariyushi unnukiyabira) |
| One language is never enough | |
| My hovercraft is full of eels |
Okinawan phrases provided by Arben Anthony Saavedra
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Ojibwe | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel
Other collections of Okinawan phrases
http://www.okinawabbtv.com/international/uchinaguchi/byron.html
http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/~uhdoc/okinawathree/okn.htm
http://www.cw-fc.com/karate/articles/okinawan_language_chart.htm
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