Bursting into laughter! A roundup of Hakata dialect tongue twisters
What Hakata dialect words do you all know?
If you live in Fukuoka Prefecture or around Kyushu, it’s probably a familiar dialect, but for people in other regions, you might even wonder, “How do you pronounce that?”
Examples include “nanshiyouto,” “yaken,” and “yoka.”
These are expressions often used on TV by the comedy duo Hakata Hanamaru-Daikichi.
In this article, we’ll introduce some tongue twisters in the Hakata dialect!
Since we have the chance, don’t just watch the videos—give them a try yourself!
Bursting into laughter! A roundup of Hakata dialect tongue twisters
Ottotto totto-tte.
I’d like to introduce this tongue twister that feels satisfying to say: “Ottotto totto-tte tte ittotta to ni, nande totto-tte kuren katta totte itto-o to.” On the page it makes no sense at all, right? It means: “I wanted you to save some Ottotto snacks for me—why didn’t you keep them?” There are many parts pronounced ‘to,’ so be careful not to get tangled up.
The trick is to insert brief pauses at phrase breaks.
Dialect Girl PucchoNEW!
https://www.tiktok.com/@sky_it_corporate/video/7476293964438572308Puccho, the candy loved by kids and adults alike.
In this tongue twister, it’s saying, “I told you to save that Puccho for me—why didn’t you keep it?” If you’re not familiar with the dialect, you might not understand a thing even after reading the sentence.
The key to nailing this tongue twister is to set clear breaks as you say it.
First, write out the meaning in words you understand, add pauses, and practice with those divisions.
I heard Kayō Yamamoto used to go to this high school.
There’s a relatively short and easy tongue twister: “Koko no kōkō ni Yamamoto Kayo ga kayottottarashii ken ne.” Yamamoto Kayo is a local TV personality active mainly in Fukuoka and beloved by locals.
In the tongue twister, it means “It seems Kayo Yamamoto used to attend this high school.” It’s a tongue twister that really reflects Fukuoka, especially the Hakata dialect.
If it feels hard, try taking a quick breath at the ‘ga’ part.
Kit Kat cut cuntNEW!
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DRB0Djfj_Qr/It’s a tongue twister that goes, “I had to make sure to buy ‘KitKat’”—the product name.
KitKat is a famous chocolate snack, and many people love it.
Maybe the person who came up with this tongue twister wanted to eat one but forgot to buy it and was shocked.
For those used to speaking Hakata dialect, it might be easy, but for those who aren’t, it can be hard to say.
Since there are repeated small ‘tsu’ sounds, be careful not to bite your tongue and give it a try.
Please buy me a KitKat.
There’s a famous Hakata dialect tongue twister: “Kittokatto kattotte tte i’ttotta to ni nande kattotte kuren katta to, tte iwareta kenga Kit Kat kattokan to ikankan’tta to ni katteku’to wasuretotta ken, mata kaigiya ikan to ikanken ga mendokusaka.” It’s quite long, so even just reading it is tough.
In short, it says: “They wanted me to have bought a Kit Kat, but since I forgot to buy it, I have to go buy one now—what a hassle.”
In conclusion
We introduced a variety of Hakata dialect tongue twisters whose distinctive sound feels pleasant to the ear. Even those that seem like incantations conjure up a warm, everyday scene when spoken aloud. The unique humor of Hakata tongue twisters is perfect for trying together with others and sharing a smile. Be sure to savor the charm of Hakata to the fullest through these tongue twisters!