![[Can you understand what they're saying?] Quiz on dialects from various regions](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yHkgY6fm4GI/sddefault.jpg)
When you’re watching TV or scrolling through social media and realize that a word you’ve used since childhood doesn’t make sense in other prefectures—and is actually a dialect—it’s pretty shocking, isn’t it?
I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences, but there are still countless dialects out there that we don’t know yet.
So, in this article, we’ll introduce a quiz related to dialects.
Even in the region where you live, some words may not be understood depending on the generation.
Dialects are truly deep and fascinating—why not take this opportunity to add some of that knowledge to your repertoire?
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Can you understand what they’re saying? Dialect quiz from various regions (1–10)
Dialect Listening Quiz
This is a quiz where various people read aloud a passage in a particular dialect, and you try to guess which of them is from that region.
As you listen to the same passage being read, pick up on the subtle differences in intonation to get closer to the correct answer.
If someone familiar with that dialect is among the contestants, their tips on what differences to listen for can give everyone a fair shot at getting it right.
It’s also interesting that even a native might be guessed incorrectly, since someone else might happen to read with an intonation close to the original dialect.
A quiz that rephrases standard Japanese into dialects
It’s a quiz where you convert standard Japanese sentences into various regional dialects.
It’s recommended to start with dialects you often hear on TV, like Kansai-ben, and then expand to other regions from there.
If participants are from different areas, doing versions in each person’s dialect could help everyone learn about each other’s backgrounds and make things more exciting.
From differences in sentence endings and intonation to words you might be hearing for the first time, it’s a quiz that lets you feel cultural differences.
National Dialect Guessing Quiz
This is a quiz where dialect words from various regions are presented along with example sentences, and you think about their meanings.
Even if you don’t know the word itself, you might be able to infer the answer from the surrounding text.
Start with simple questions that insert just one dialect word into standard Japanese, then gradually increase the amount of dialect used, and ultimately have participants figure out the meaning of sentences written entirely in dialect.
Knowing which region the dialect is from is a big hint, so it could be exciting to deliberately hide the location and have participants guess not only the word’s meaning but also where it comes from.
Okinawan Dialect Quiz
Okinawa Prefecture, which once had its own distinct culture as the Ryukyu Kingdom, is also a popular tourist destination.
Let’s think about the meanings of the dialect used there, called “Uchinaaguchi.” It’s recommended to start with short words that express objects or actions, and then gradually move on to questions that ask for the meanings of longer sentences.
Since the way words connect can differ greatly from standard Japanese, the key is to provide detailed hints step by step.
Be sure to also appreciate its unique gentle intonation and the calm, soothing sound of the language.
Hiroshima Dialect Quiz
Hiroshima Prefecture is a popular tourist destination, known for places like Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima—one of Japan’s Three Most Scenic Spots.
Let’s take a look at the dialect spoken in Hiroshima.
The well-known features are the sentence-ending and connective particles “ja” and “jakee,” which are used by people of all genders and often draw attention.
It’s recommended to start with these short, iconic Hiroshima-ben expressions and then build up to more difficult words and sentences.
Also, Hiroshima-ben is said to feature elongated sentence endings that are hard to capture in writing, so listening to actual pronunciation while considering your responses can make it even more engaging.
Yamagata Dialect Quiz
Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku region is famous for places like Ginzan Onsen, which is said to have inspired the film Spirited Away.
We’ll present some Yamagata dialect and think through the answers together.
Let’s start with simple questions where you give the meaning of a word, and then move on to longer sentences.
Intonation is also a major feature of the Yamagata dialect, so if you know someone from there or someone who can speak it, it’s a great idea to have them host the quiz.
The unique intonation will make the quiz more challenging, and it could also serve as a hint to help you find the answer.
Shimane Dialect Quiz
Here’s a dialect quiz from Shimane Prefecture in the Chugoku region, known for Izumo Taisha, Matsue Castle, and the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.
Shimane has three dialects—Izumo-ben, Oki-ben, and Iwami-ben—so depending on the area, even people from Shimane might not arrive at the right answer, which makes it all the more exciting.
Let’s start with words used across the whole prefecture and gradually move on to those used only in limited areas.
If you incorporate dialect words into sentences in standard Japanese, it seems possible to infer the answers from the surrounding context.