“Chau chau, anta” — a Kansai-dialect tongue twister. A phrase only Kansai folks can say.
There are lots of tongue twisters, but did you know there are ones that use dialects too?
Among them, Kansai-dialect tongue twisters are famous!
Some of you might already know the tongue twister that uses the Chow Chow dog and the Kansai word chau, which means “not” or “different.”
In this article, we’ll introduce a bunch of tongue twisters in Kansai dialect.
We’ve gathered tricky ones that use Kansai words like “chau chau,” “anta,” and “sara,” which can be hard for people from other regions to say smoothly.
Whether you’re from Kansai or not, give them a try!
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“Chow-chow, you!” A Kansai dialect tongue twister. Words only Kansai people can say (1–10)
You said to smoothly wrap the dishes with gauze, right, Sara? Now you’re wrapping a broken dish with gauze—what on earth are you showing off (with that gauze), Sara?
This is a tongue twister that uses sara, a Kansai dialect word meaning “brand-new,” and sara, the plate you put food on.
When written in hiragana, both are the same word, but their intonation is clearly different, so being mindful of that will make it easier to say.
At the end of the sentence, yet another different “SARA” appears, so pay extra attention to rhythm when pronouncing it.
Also note the appearance of similar words like sarashi and sarasara; as long as you can stay aware of which sara each pronunciation is closest to, you should be fine.
If you get fired up speaking Kansai dialect, you might end up rolling your tongue, but that actually makes it harder to say.
Since this is a tongue twister, it’s best to focus on precise pronunciation.
At Koyasan, Kobo Daishi was holding a child while grinding flour; some flour got into the child’s eyes, so he said, ‘From now on, I won’t grind flour while holding a child.’
In Kansai dialect, there are words where a single-character word is elongated when spoken.
例えば「目」（め、eye）と書く言葉は「みー」と発音され、文字を読むだけではわからない関西の話し言葉の面白さのひとつです。
Here’s a tongue-twister featuring Kūkai, also known as Kōbō Daishi, that focuses on those elongated sounds and intonation in Kansai dialect.
When you read it as plain text, it doesn’t seem particularly difficult and the rhythm may even feel off, but if you incorporate the elongated pronunciations mentioned earlier, a rhythm emerges and the passage turns into good articulation practice.
For instance, read “粉” (kona) as “koo,” and “子供” (kodomo) as “koodomo” to tune it to a song-like cadence.
As long as you consistently produce the elongated parts and the Kansai intonation, it becomes an easy passage to read and could be useful for reviewing your own vocal delivery.
Fools keep saying ‘you’re a fool’ and calling me a fool, but aren’t the real fools the ones saying that?
This phrase packs in the nuance of teasing the other person while repeating the same word over and over.
In Kansai, “aho” isn’t just an insult—it’s often used affectionately, so it has the power to turn things into a joke.
Because the flow of the words is quirky, it’s funny in a way that can leave even the speaker unsure what they’re saying once they say it out loud, letting you enjoy the rhythm of the conversation and the cleverness of the phrasing.
It’s a line that really tests the timing and comeback skills unique to people from Kansai.
It’s a handy tongue twister that invites laughter and lightens the mood.
[Chau-chau, You] A Kansai-dialect tongue twister. Words only Kansai people can say (11–20)
My dad was muttering in a small voice, saying he’d put the little brown teacup in a slightly different place.
Let’s test Kansai folks’ sense of pronunciation with a tongue twister that balances cute-sounding words with real difficulty.
With repeated sounds like “chicchai,” “chau,” and “chu-chu,” it challenges both articulation and concentration.
Picture a dad who’s picky about where the tea chocolates are placed, muttering complaints under his breath—choosing words that capture that scene is what makes it funny.
It can instantly turn the moment into a sketch-like world.
Many people stumble when they try to say it with a snappy tempo, making it a phrase packed with the playful spirit unique to Kansai dialect.
My mom’s mom looks like my mom—she’s a grandma who’s like my mom.
Even within the family, this phrase—where “okan” shows up more than anything—blends a uniquely Kansai-style warmth with a vibe that’s passed down across generations.
What’s being said seems complicated at first glance, yet somehow you can picture it—that’s the fun of Kansai dialect.
By repeating the word “okan” over and over, the speaker’s point gets fuzzier, and the listener can’t help but laugh along.
It humorously captures a chain of words spanning three generations, and even in the wordplay, you can feel the warmth of home.
Said quickly, it trips everyone up—a perfect turn of phrase for sparking conversation.
A hardcore Kansai native goes full-on rage in an ultra-serious, for-real, no-nonsense meeting
This is a tongue twister that lets you enjoy the feeling of words losing their meaning by repeating the same phrase over and over.
Because “gachi,” meaning “for real,” appears in succession, it makes a strong impression at first, but the more you repeat it, the more it starts to feel like a gag—that’s the fun of this phrase.
You don’t hear terms like “gachi-gire” (seriously pissed) or “gachi kaigi” (a serious meeting) very often in daily life, and the structure makes it easy for anyone to stumble.
Add the rhythm of Kansai dialect, and it gets even quirkier and more exciting as a wordplay.
It also works great as a forfeit-game line or a quick one-liner to lighten the mood.
You keep saying there’s something about everything, but it kinda feels like there’s nothing to it.
These are phrases that Kansai people use to neatly express a vague sense of discomfort or an ambiguous feeling that pops up in the moment.
By combining everyday words like “nande mo” (whatever) and “nanka” (kind of), they manage to convey a hazy unease in a playful way.
The content is essentially negative, but instead of stating it outright, they soften it with phrasing like “kanji suru nen” (“it kinda feels like that”), which also reflects the Kansai-style desire for the listener to read between the lines.
Deliberately avoiding firm statements and leaving room for the other person’s imagination invites quips and empathy, making it a good conversation starter.
Its strong, quirky phrasing that’s easy to stumble over is part of the charm, too.