Useful Okinawan phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Okinawan, a Ryukyuan language spoken on Okinawa in Japan.

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See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: m = said by males, f = said by females, (Shuri) = Shuri dialect, inf = informal, frm = formal, vfrm = very formal, plt = polite, col = colloquial

English 沖縄口 Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan)
Welcome めんそーれー (mensooree)
Hello (General greeting) 今日拝なびら (chuu wuganabira)
はいさい (haisai) m
はいたい (haitai) f
へーさい (heesai) m (Shuri)
へーたい (heetai) f (Shuri)
今日や早く起きそーいびーんやー
(chuuya feeku ukisooibiinyaa)
- frm (lit. You're early today)
Hello (on phone) もしもし (moshi moshi)
How are you? 頑丈やみ? (ganjuu yami?) - inf
頑丈やいびーみ? (ganjuu yaibiimi?) - frm
頑丈やみしぇーみ? (ganjuu yamisheemi?) - vfrm
Reply to 'How are you?'  
Long time no see 長ーさやー nageesayaa
拝ん遠さいびーたん (wuganduusaibiitan)
拝ん遠さぬ (wuganduusanu)
拝ん遠ーさ(wuganduusa)
拝ん遠さいびーやー (wugandiisaibiiyaa)
見ー遠さんやー (miiduusanyaa)
見ー遠さいびーんやー (miiduusaibiinyaa)
What's your name? う名前や何やいびーが?
(u naamee ya nuu yaibiiga?)
御所何んでぃ言ちょーいびーが?
(unju nuu ndi ichooibiiga?)
My name is ... ... やん (... yan) - inf
... やいびーん (... yaibiin) - frm
我ー名前や ... やいびーん
(waa naamee ya ... yaibiin) - frm
我ー名前や ... やん
(waa naamee ya ... yan) - inf
我んねー、 ... んでぃ言るむんやいびーん
(wannee ... (n)diirumun yaibiin)
我んねー……. んでぃ言ちょーいびーん
(wannee ... (n)di ichooibiin)
Where are you from? まーからやいびーが
(maa kara yaibiiga?) - inf
まーから来ゃーびてぃい
(maa kara chaabiti i?) - frm
I'm from ... 我んねー……からやいびーん
(wannee …..kara yaibiin) - inf
我んねー……. から来ゃーびたん
(wannee ….kara chaabitan) - frm
Pleased to meet you 初みてぃ拝なびら (hajimiti wuganabira)
初みてぃやいびーん (hajimitiyaibiin)
初みてぃやいびーんやーさい (hajimiti yaibiinyaasai) - m
初みてぃやいびーんやーたい (hajimiti yaibiinyaatai) - f
初みてぃでーびーる (hajimiti deebiru)
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
起きみそーちー (ukimisoochii)
起きみしぇーびてぃ (ukimisheebiti) - frm
起きてぃ (ukiti) - inf
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)
 
Good evening
(Evening greeting)
 
Good night う憩いみしぇーびり (uyukuimisheebiri) - frm
う憩いみそーれー (uyukuimisooree) - inf
Goodbye
(Parting phrases)
今から行じ来ゅーん (namakara nji chuun)
I'll be back - you are leaving (inf)
今から行じ来ゃーびら (namakara nji chaabira)
I'll be back - you are leaving (frm)
いめんしぇーびり (imensheebiri)
come back soon - you are staying (frm)
めんそーれー (mensooree)
come back soon - you are staying (inf)
行じめんそーれー (nji mensooree)
come back soon - you are staying (inf)
行じめんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri)
come back soon - you are staying (frm)
御無礼さびら (guburii sabira)
行じ来ゃーびら (njichaabira)
暇拝なびら (ituma wuganabira)
又ん御行会ー拝なびら (mata n wuichee wuganabira)
lit. let's meet again (frm)
又ん御行会ー拝ま (mata n wuichee wugama)
lit. let's meet again (inf)
また明日拝ま (mata acha wugama)
lit. let's meet again tomorrow (inf)
また明日拝なびら (mata acha wuganabira)
lit. let's meet again tomorrow (frm)
行会ー拝なびら (ichee wuganabira) - frm
行会ー拝ま (ichee wugama) - inf
Good luck!  
Cheers! Good Health!
(Toasts used when drinking)
嘉例 (karii)
Have a nice day  
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
うさがいみそーれー (usagaimisooree)
said by the cook/chef - frm
くゎっちーさびれえ (kwatchiisabiree) - frm
うさがいみしぇーびり (usagaimisheebiri) - frm
くゎっち一さびら (kwatchiisabira)
said before a meal by those eating it
くゎっち一さび一たん (kwatchiisabiitan)
said after a meal by those who have eaten it
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
行じ、めんそーれー (nji mensooree)
- Go & come back - inf
行じ、めんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri)
- Go & come back - frm
道をぅてー車んかい良ーさ
(michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusa)
lit. be good on your car while on the road - inf
道をぅてー車んかい良ーさびら
(michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusabira)
- lit. be good on your car while on the road - frm
I don't understand 分かやびらん (wakayabiran) - frm
分からん (wakaran) - inf
Please speak more slowly よ一んな一話し吳みしぇーびり
(yoonnaa hanashi kwimisheebiri) - frm
よ一んな一話し吳みそーり
(yoonnaa hanashi kwimisooree) - pl
よ一んな一話し吳りよ
(yoonnaa hanashi kwiriyo) - inf
Please write it down 書ち吳みしぇーびり (kachi kwimisheebiri) - frm
書ち吳みそーり (kachi kwimisoori) - pl
書ち吳りよ (kachi kwiriyo) - inf
Do you speak Okinawan? 沖縄口話さび一み?
(uchinaaguchi hanasabiimi?) - frm
沖縄口話すみ
(uchinaaguchi hanasumi?) - inf
沖縄口話しゆ一さび一み?
(uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusabiimi?) - inf
沖縄口話しゆ一すみ?
(uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusumi?) - inf
沖縄口ぬ話しやび一み?
(uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyabiimi?) - frm
沖縄口ぬ話しゆみ?
(uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyumi?) - inf
Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')
う一、うふぇ一話さび一ん
(uu, ufee hanasabiin) - frm
う一、うふぇ一話すん
(uu, ufee hanasun) - inf
う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一さび一ん
(uu, ufee hanashiyuusabiin) - frm
う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一すん
(uu, ufee hanashiyuusun) - inf
う一、うふぇ一話しやび一ん
(uu, ufee hanashiyabiin) - frm
う一、うふぇ一話しゆん
(uu, ufee hanashiyun) - inf
How do you say ... in Okinawan? ...沖縄口っし何んでぃ言いびーが。
(... uchinaaguchi sshi nuu ndi 'yuibiiga?)
Excuse me 御無礼さびたん (guburii sabitan)
御無礼さびら (guburii sabira)
How much is this? くれーちゃっさやいびーが?
(kuree chassa yaibiiga?) - col/frm
くれーちゃっさやが?
(kuree chassa yaga?) col/inf
Sorry 悪さいびーん (wassaibiin)
Thank you 御拝でーびーる (nifee deebiiru) - frm
御拝どー(nifee doo) - inf
一杯御拝でーびーる (ippee nifee deebiiru)
Reply to thank you  
Where's the toilet / bathroom?  
This gentleman will pay for everything  
This lady will pay for everything  
Would you like to dance with me? まじゅん踊いびらに。 (majun wuduibirani?)
I love you 好ちゅさ一(shichusaa)
我んね一御所愛さんでぃ思と一いび一ん
(wannee unju kanasa ndi umutooibiin) - frm
Get well soon  
Leave me alone!  
Help! 助きてぃ! (tashikiti!)
Fire! 火事やん! (kwaji yan!)
Stop!  
Call the police! 警察呼でぃ吳みしぇーびり!
(kiisachi yudi kwimisheebiri!) - frm
警察呼でぃ吳みそーり!
(kiisachi yudi kwimisoori!) - pl
警察呼でぃ吳りよ!
(kiisachi yudi kwiriyo!) - inf
Christmas greetings メリークリスマス
(merī kurisumasu)
New Year greetings 良い正月でーびーる。
(ii soogwachi deebiiru) - used before New Year
Birthday greetings う生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら
(u umaribii kariyushi unnukiyabira)
う誕生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら
(utanjoobi kariyushi unnukiyabira)
One language is never enough  
My hovercraft is full of eels  

Okinawan phrases provided by Arben Anthony Saavedra

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Ojibwe | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Other collections of Okinawan phrases
http://www.okinawabbtv.com/international/uchinaguchi/byron.html http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/~uhdoc/okinawathree/okn.htm
http://www.cw-fc.com/karate/articles/okinawan_language_chart.htm

Phrases in Japonic / Japanese-Ryukyuan languages

Japanese, Okinawan

Phrases in other languages

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