Kansai dialect quiz roundup: origins and example sentences included!
Because many comedians come from the Kansai region, you often hear Kansai dialect on TV.
While expressions like “Nandeyanen!!” and “—yan!!” are recognizable for their distinctive endings and intonation, there are plenty of words that people outside Kansai might not understand.
In this article, written by an author from Kansai, we present a Kansai dialect quiz that can be tricky for those from outside the region.
The article is structured as a multiple-choice quiz with three options, and we’ll also explain the origins and provide example sentences, so please enjoy as you read.
Some terms might even be unfamiliar to younger people in Kansai, so those from Kansai should check it out too!
- “Chau chau, anta” — a Kansai-dialect tongue twister. A phrase only Kansai folks can say.
- Trivia & fun facts about Osaka Prefecture
- [Can you understand what they're saying?] Quiz on dialects from various regions
- [For Elementary School Students] Collection of Local Quizzes from Osaka Prefecture
- Can you say them? A collection of Hakata-dialect tongue twisters
- Fun games for kids in Kansai. Recreation games
- Tongue twisters that will make you laugh out loud! Super funny
- Parody song in a dialect
- [Interesting] Summary of Kanji Reading Quiz Questions
- Nagoya dialect tongue twisters are exquisite! A fun collection where your tongue gets tied in knots with regional dialects
- Fun quizzes that liven up the party. Quizzes everyone can enjoy.
- Abbreviation quiz: things you might not actually know? From everyday terms to youth slang
- [General] Surprisingly unknown? Test your geography skills with a three-choice quiz on Japan’s prefectures
Kansai Dialect Quiz Roundup: Origins and Example Sentences Included! (1–10)
throw away; discard
- run
- to think
- throw away
See the answer
throw away
Originally, it was written as “放下す,” meaning to throw something away. Over time, the form changed and it became the word “hokasu,” which took root. Example sentence: “Please throw this away.”
to show off; to act up (Kansai dialect slang)
- to sneer (at someone) and laugh; to laugh mockingly
- get carried away
- to badmouth; to speak ill (of someone)
See the answer
get carried away
Just from the word ichibiru, you can’t really guess what it means, but it actually has a proper origin. In the past, the person who managed auctions at a market was called ichiburi (“market caller”), and from that the verb ichibiru came to mean “to get carried away” or “to act cocky.” A person who’s getting carried away can also be called an ichibiri. Example sentence: “Don’t keep acting so cocky!!”
on the way (there)
- breath; breathing; taking a breath (breath control)
- cross over to heaven
- on the way (there)
See the answer
on the way (there)
Written in kanji as 「行きしな」 (ikishina), this word isn’t well understood outside the Kansai region. The element 「しな」 carries the meaning of “while doing X,” “on the occasion of X,” or “in the course of X,” so 「帰りしな」 is also commonly used to mean “on the way back.” Example sentence: “I’ll pick up a drink on the way there.”
motor pool
- boat racecourse
- Parking lot
- Lazy river
See the answer
Parking lot
It’s said that two-thirds of all properties named “motor pool” in Japan are in Osaka, that’s how common the term is there. Originally, after the war, places where military vehicles were kept were called motor pools. While in Tokyo many such sites were redeveloped with buildings, in Osaka many remained in use as parking lots. That’s why in the Kansai region the term “motor pool” took root with the meaning “parking lot.” Example: (sign) “Motor Pool — 1,800 yen per day.”
stye
- stye
- eye discharge
- eyelashes
See the answer
stye
It refers to a stye—an inflammation on the eyelid caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Its etymology isn’t clear, but it seems to be a term used only in the Kansai region. In other regions, a stye is called by various names depending on the area, such as “memorai,” “menbo,” “baka,” or “ohimesan,” in addition to “monomorai.” Example sentence: “I’ve got a stye and it hurts.”