Modern Fukui dialect course

This website teach you how modern Fukui people speak in Fukui dialect, Fukui-ben! You can be local people in Fukui from today, Yatta~!

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現代福井弁講座 What is Fukui-ben?

Fukui-ben is the dialect in Fukui prefecture(Fukui-ken), especially spoken in northern part like Fukui, Takefu and Sabae. The accent is totally different from standard Japanese, I can say there is no accent sometimes, funny accent sometimes. But some words are similar to Kansai-ben.(Around Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.)
It's because Fukui-ken has long shape, it's even located next to Kyoto, even though many people doesn't know about the fact. So various language came from west-side(Kansai) and east-side(Tokyo) after Meiji-era, then happened mixture, we guess. Actually, there are a lot of accent in Fukui-ken, it's like dialect chaos though, I teach you presentative Fukui-ben that modern Fukui people uses!

You can listen Fukui-ben by this button :D ->

Agreement

(Standard Ja.)そうそう(So-so)
(Fukui-ben)ほやほや(Hoyahoya)

"Yeah-yeah" or "Yes yes"
This is the easiest one. it's ok if you say just 1 "Hoya". But most of the time, we say 2 times.

(Standard Ja.)そうなんだよ(So-nandayo)
(Fukui-ben)ほやって・ほうなんやって(Hoyatte/Ho-nanyatte)

"Yeah, it is."
Fukui-ben's point is "Ho" on first.

(Standard Ja.)そうだね(So-dane)
(Fukui-ben)ほやの(Hoyano)

"Yeah, you are right."
It's easy, right?

Asking

(Standard Ja.)ねぇねぇ(Nee-nee)
(Fukui-ben)のぉのぉ(No-no)

"Hey-hey"
You can ask something or make attention to someone.

Very

(Standard Ja.)すごく(Sugoku)
(Fukui-ben)ひって・ひっで・ひってもんに・ちっかっぺ(Hitte/Hidde/Hittemonni/Chikkappe)

Example

(Standard Ja.)すごく腹が立ったよ！(Sugoku hara ga tattayo!)
(Fukui-ben)ひってもんに腹立ったって！(Hittemonni hara tattatte!)

"very"
Ex. - "I was very angry!"

Note

"Chikkappe" used by kids.

~ Reference ~
Hitte = Hidde ≠ Chikkappe < Hittemonni

But

(Standard Ja.)でも・しかし(Demo/Shikasi)
(Fukui-ben)ほやけどぉ～・ほやけどの(Hoyakedo~/Hoyakedono)

"But"

Note

If you add "no" at the end of Fukui-ben, it's like a local!

Do it

(Standard Ja.)しなさい(Shinasai)
(Fukui-ben)しね(Shine)

Example

(Standard Ja.)はやくしなさいよ(Hayaku shinasaiyo)
(Fukui-ben)はよしねや(Hayo shineya)

"Do it"
Ex. - "Do it quickly!"

Note

This is totally Fukui-ben. But the standard Japanese means "You die", so it's a dangerous phrase outside of Fukui.

Confirm

(Standard Ja.)そうかな？(So-kana)
(Fukui-ben)ほやっけ？(Hoyakke)

"Is it?"
The point of Fukui-ben is still "Ho" on first.

(Standard Ja.)そうだったかな？(Sou-dattakana)
(Fukui-ben)ほやったっけ？(Hoyattakke)

"Was it?"

Note

Fukui-ben uses "ke" at the end if it's asking something.

Let's

(Standard Ja.)～しようよ・～やろうよ(~ shiyo-yo/~ yaro-yo)
(Fukui-ben)～しよっせ(っさ)・～やろっせ(っさ)(~ shiyosse/ssa / ~ yarosse/ssa)

Example

(Standard Ja.)遊びに行こうよ(Asobini iko-yo)
(Fukui-ben)遊びに行こっせ(Asobini ikosse)

"Let's ~"
Ex. - "Let's go to play"

Note

If you ask something to do together, Fukui-ben use "~sse" at the end.
"~sse" is cool and young people uses.
"~ssa" is old and slow people uses.

A Word

(Standard Ja.)砂あらし(Suna-arashi)
(Fukui-ben)じゃみじゃみ(Jami-jami)

Example

(Standard Ja.)あ、テレビが終った(A, Telebi ga owatta)
(Fukui-ben)あ、テレビがじゃみじゃみになった(A, Telebi ga jamijami ni natta)

"TV fuzz"
We can't see TV fuzz these days, but there were just 4 channel in Fukui, so when we turned the channels, we watched TV fuzz many times.

(Standard Ja.)怠け者(Namakemono)
(Fukui-ben)だわ・だわもん(Dawa/Dawamon)

Example

母：　「ちょっとそこの新聞とってや」
(Chotto sokono shinbun totteya)
娘：　「えー、めんどくさい～」
(e~, mendokusai~)
母：　「あんたほんっとにだわもんやなぁ！」
(Anta honttoni Dawamon yanaa!)

"Lazy person"

Ex -
Mom : "Pass me the news paper"
Kid : "That's a bother"
Mom : "You are really lazy person!"

(Standard Ja.)Nothing
(Fukui-ben)うそうそ(Usouso)

Example

この服、もう洗わなうそうそんなってるよ～。(Kono fuku, mouo arawana Usouso'nn natteruyo~)

"A states that something dirty"
Ex. - "This cloths need washing as it's something dirty~"

Note

We use this word for kids, or kids uses this word.

(Standard Ja.)口内炎(Ko-naien)
(Fukui-ben)カゼネツ(Kazenetsu)

"Stomatitis" or "Canker sore"

Note

Actually, "Kaze" means "(had a) cold" and "Netstu" means "Fever" in standard Japanese though, there is no connection between Standard Japanese and Fukui-ben.

Whaaaat? or No way~

(Standard Ja.)？？？
(Fukui-ben)おぇ～(Oe~)

Example

(Standard Ja.)えー、マジ？(E~, Maji?)
(Fukui-ben)おぇ～、マジきゃ？(Oe~, Majikya?)

"Whaaaat?" or "No way~"
Ex. - "Whaaaat? Serious?"

Note

When we faced to something annoy or bother, we use this word.

Others

(Standard Ja.)いない(Inai)
(Fukui-ben)えん・いん(En/In)

Example

友１：　「まりこちゃんいるー？」
(A : "~ chan iru~?")
友２：　「えんよ」
(B : "En yo")

"No one here"
Ex. -
A: "Is Mariko here?"
B: "No, she is not"

Note

"In" used around Old Echizen-cho and Old Nanjo-cho.

(Standard Ja.)倒す(Taosu)
(Fukui-ben)かやす(Kayasu)

Example

あ、自転車倒しちゃった
(A, jitensha taoshichatta)
あ、自転車かやしてもた(げの)
(A, jitensha kayashitemotageno)

"Knock over"
Ex. - "Oh, I knocked over a bicycle"

Note

"I did ~", we say "~ shitemota" or "~ shitemotageno" in Fukui-ben.
But if someone use "geno" on the end, sounds like a old woman.

(Standard Ja.)Nothing
(Fukui-ben)がぼる・ごぼる(Gaboru/Goboru)

Example

子供１：　まりちゃん、雪山に上ると危ないよ～
(A: Mari-chan, yukiyama ni noboruto abunaiyo~)
子供２：　大丈夫だってば～・・・ズボッ！
(B: Daijoubu datteba~...Zubotto!)
子供２：　うわぁ～！　がぼってもたぁ！
(B: Uwa~! Gabottemota~!)

"Foot fall into snow"
Ex. - A: Hey Mari, it's dangerous if you on snow bank!
B: I'm OK~....oh no!!
B: Wow~!! My foot fell into snow!!

Note

Fukui has a lot of snow in winter, so this word is just for snow place.

(Standard Ja.)古い、壊れかけている、使えそうにない(Furui)
(Fukui-ben)おぞい、おぜぇー(Ozoi/Ozee)

Example

なに、このひっておっぜぇ～ラジカセ？
(Nani, kono hitte ozee rajikase?)

"Old" or "Useless"
Ex. - "What's this old radio-cassette recorder?"

(Standard Ja.)何気に・いつのまに(Nanigeni/Itsunomani)
(Fukui-ben)しなっと(Shinatto)

Example

子供１：　テスト何点やった？
(A: Tesuto nanten yatta?)
子供２：　ん？・・・９６点
(B: N? ...96ten)
子供１：　なにしなぁ～っといい点取ってるんやって。
(A: Nani shina~tto iiten totterunn yatte)

"Secretly"
Ex. -
A: What was your exam score?
B: Ah? ....96point.
A: You took such a good score secretly, man.

Note

We use this phrase with something funny feeling. It's like "How did you do it man?(LOL)".

(Standard Ja.)塩辛い(Shiokarai)
(Fukui-ben)くどい(Kudoi)

"Salty"

Note

We use this word for salty dish when it had too much salt or soy sauce.

(Standard Ja.)おもしろい(Omoshiroi)
(Fukui-ben)おもっしぇー(Omosshe~)

"Funny" or "Interesting"
We extend this phrase at the end, it's important.

(Standard Ja.)Nothing
(Fukui-ben)つるつるいっぱい(Tsurutsuru ippai)

Example

おばちゃ～ん、このコップに水をつるつるいっぱい入れとっけの～。
(Obacha~n, kono koppuni mizuwo tsurutsuru ippai iretokkeno~)

"When liquid like a water is almost full in a cup"

Note

Almost every Fukui-people thinks this word is standard Japanese, so when local people went to outside of Fukui, they will know it was just our dialect..!

Slang

(Standard Ja.)Nothing
(Fukui-ben)ちょれぇ～(Choree~)

Example

あいつすごく嫌な奴だよね
(Aitsu sugoku iyanayatu dayone)
あいつひってちょっれぇ～んじゃ
(Aitsu hitte chorree nja)

"Cheeky" or something not good feeling to person
Ex. - "He is such a cheeky."

(Standard Ja.)Nothing
(Fukui-ben)のくてえ・のくとい(Nokutee/Nokutoi)

Example

(Standard Ja.)あいつ、頭がアレなんじゃないの？
(Aitsu, atamaga are nanjanaino?)
(Fukui-ben)あいつ、頭がのくてぇんじゃねぇの？
(Aitsu, atamaga nokutee'nn janeeno?)

"Jackass" or something someone did stupid thing. Ex. - "I'm sure he is jackass."

Note

It's very similar to "Choree~", but real Fukui kids use these words correctly.

You finished the course, so from now on you can be fake local Fukui people!! XD
Well then, we spread Fukui-ben over the world!!

Hi, I'm Sue who are living in and loving Fukui very much.
I went to Kyoto from Fukui when I went to university in Kyoto. At that time, many people laughed at my accent and asked where I came from. Even they didn't know where Fukui is located.

I felt shame but it made me the idea for making this website. Ok, you don't know, so I teach you what Fukui-ben is!! XD

Fukui-ben is such a funny dialect, yeah! Fukui is like a foreign country from other prefecture, well it's like a hidden place. We have yummy seafood, fresh vegetables, fresh air and pure water! Slow life, peaceful and no trash on the street. It's the best place in Japan XD