[For Seniors] 3-Choice Dialect Quiz! A Collection of Fun Dialect Quizzes from Around Japan

very; super; extremely (Saga dialect/slang)

In Saga Prefecture, they say “gabai” to mean “very.” That dialect became famous nationwide because Yoshichi Shimada’s novel “Saga no Gabai Baachan” (My Gabai Grandma from Saga) was a hit.

Jeez!

Haven’t you heard the dialect expression “je je je” at least once? It’s a dialect that became widely known across Japan thanks to the 2013 NHK morning drama series Amachan.

snake

In Wakayama Prefecture, snakes are called “kuchinawa.” The term “kuchinawa” is also used for old ropes that have lost their elasticity. It may be that people started calling them “kuchinawa” because they resemble snakes.

jitēko

In other prefectures, people also call bicycles “chari,” right? Surprisingly, in Wakayama Prefecture, they call a bicycle “jiteko.” Hearing “jiteko” is surprising, but it’s a curious dialect that people in Wakayama understand.

Include me / Let me join / Count me in

In Shizuoka Prefecture, people use the word “katasu” when they want to be included in a group at school. In other prefectures, it tends to be taken to mean “to tidy up,” so it’s an interesting dialect, isn’t it?

I don't mind.

In Toyama Prefecture, they apparently use the dialect word “tsukaen” to mean “it’s okay” or “no problem.” Since in most other prefectures it has a negative meaning like “can’t be used,” hearing someone suddenly say “tsukaen” might be quite surprising.

jewel

Jewels have a sparkling, luxurious image, don’t they? I’ve heard that long ago, when sweets were rare and hard to come by, people started calling sweet confections “houseki” (jewels), and that’s where it began.