{"id":1636,"date":"2024-12-29T16:57:15","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T16:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2024-12-30T13:48:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T13:48:49","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-the-hiroshima-dialect-hiroshima-ben","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-hiroshima-dialect-hiroshima-ben\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner’s Guide to the Hiroshima Dialect (Hiroshima-ben)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re studying Japanese and want to expand your understanding beyond standard Japanese (\u6a19\u6e96\u8a9e\u30fb\u3072\u3087\u3046\u3058\u3085\u3093\u3054\u30fbhyoujungo<\/strong>), exploring regional dialects (\u65b9\u8a00\u30fb\u307b\u3046\u3052\u3093\u30fbhougen<\/strong>) can be a fascinating journey. One of the most unique and vibrant dialects is Hiroshima-ben (\u5e83\u5cf6\u5f01\u30fb\u3072\u308d\u3057\u307e\u3079\u3093\u30fbhiroshimaben)<\/strong>, spoken in Hiroshima Prefecture and surrounding areas. In this blog post, we\u2019ll explore the key features of Hiroshima-ben, including common phrases, grammar points, and verb conjugations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes Hiroshima-ben Unique?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hiroshima-ben is known for its soft intonation, yet it often uses phrases and endings that may feel very different from standard Japanese. Here are some defining characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Distinct Verb Endings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Unique Expressions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Simplified Grammar<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Pronunciation Variations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s break these down step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Verb Endings in Hiroshima-ben<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most notable differences in Hiroshima-ben is its unique verb conjugations. Instead of the -te (\u3066)<\/strong> form in standard Japanese, Hiroshima-ben uses -chou (\u3061\u3087\u30fc)<\/strong> for the progressive or continuous tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Standard: \u98df\u3079\u3066\u3044\u308b (\u305f\u3079\u3066\u3044\u308b\u30fbtabeteiru<\/strong>) \u2192 \u201cEating\u201d
      Hiroshima-ben: \u98df\u3079\u3088\u308b (\u305f\u3079\u3088\u308b\u30fbtabeyoru<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Standard: \u884c\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b (\u3044\u3063\u3066\u3044\u308b\u30fbitteiru<\/strong>) \u2192 \u201cGoing\u201d
      Hiroshima-ben: \u884c\u304d\u3088\u308b (\u3044\u304d\u3088\u308b\u30fbikiyoru<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      You\u2019ll also notice that verbs conjugated in the past tense use -\u3068\u3063\u305f (\u3068\u3063\u305f\u30fbtotta)<\/strong> instead of the standard -\u3066\u3044\u305f (\u3066\u3044\u305f\u30fbteita)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Standard: \u898b\u3066\u3044\u305f (\u307f\u3066\u3044\u305f\u30fbmiteita<\/strong>) \u2192 \u201cWas watching\u201d
        Hiroshima-ben: \u898b\u3088\u3063\u305f (\u307f\u3088\u3063\u305f\u30fbmiyotta<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        2. Common Hiroshima-ben Expressions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Here are some popular phrases you\u2019ll hear in Hiroshima and what they mean:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • \u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093 (\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093\u30fbjaken)<\/strong> \u2192 \u201cBecause\u201d or \u201cThat\u2019s why\u201d
          This is the Hiroshima equivalent of \u3060\u304b\u3089 (\u3060\u304b\u3089\u30fbdakara)<\/strong>. It\u2019s used frequently in conversations to explain reasons.
          Example: \u660e\u65e5\u96e8\u304c\u964d\u308b\u3051\u3093\u3001\u884c\u304b\u3093\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093\u3002
          (\u3042\u3057\u305f \u3042\u3081\u304c \u3075\u308b\u3051\u3093\u3001\u3044\u304b\u3093\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093\u30fbashita ame ga furuken, ikan jaken<\/strong>)
          \u201cIt\u2019s going to rain tomorrow, so I won\u2019t go.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u305f\u3044\u304e\u3044 (\u305f\u3044\u304e\u3044\u30fbtaigii)<\/strong> \u2192 \u201cTroublesome\u201d or \u201cExhausting\u201d
          A very common word in Hiroshima to express that something feels like a hassle.
          Example: \u5bbf\u984c\u304c\u305f\u3044\u304e\u3044\u3002
          (\u3057\u3085\u304f\u3060\u3044 \u304c \u305f\u3044\u304e\u3044\u30fbshukudai ga taigii<\/strong>)
          \u201cHomework is such a pain.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u3076\u3061 (\u3076\u3061\u30fbbuchi)<\/strong> \u2192 \u201cVery\u201d or \u201cExtremely\u201d
          This is the Hiroshima equivalent of \u3068\u3066\u3082 (\u3068\u3066\u3082\u30fbtotemo)<\/strong>.
          Example: \u3076\u3061\u3046\u307e\u3044\uff01
          (\u3076\u3061 \u3046\u307e\u3044\u30fbbuchi umai<\/strong>)
          \u201cIt\u2019s super delicious!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u3044\u3051\u3093 (\u3044\u3051\u3093\u30fbiken)<\/strong> \u2192 \u201cNo good\u201d or \u201cNot allowed\u201d
          In Hiroshima-ben, this phrase is used to indicate something is wrong or unacceptable.
          Example: \u305d\u308c\u306f\u3044\u3051\u3093\u3002
          (\u305d\u308c \u306f \u3044\u3051\u3093\u30fbsore wa iken<\/strong>)
          \u201cThat\u2019s not okay.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          3. Grammar in Hiroshima-ben<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          \u201c\u3051\u3093\u201d instead of \u201c\u304b\u3089\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          In Hiroshima-ben, \u3051\u3093 (\u3051\u3093\u30fbken)<\/strong> is used instead of \u304b\u3089 (\u304b\u3089\u30fbkara)<\/strong> to mean \u201cbecause\u201d or \u201cso.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Standard: \u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u5fd9\u3057\u3044\u304b\u3089\u884c\u3051\u306a\u3044\u3002
            (\u304d\u3087\u3046 \u306f \u3044\u305d\u304c\u3057\u3044 \u304b\u3089 \u3044\u3051\u306a\u3044\u30fbkyou wa isogashii kara ikenai<\/strong>)
            \u201cI\u2019m busy today, so I can\u2019t go.\u201d
            Hiroshima-ben: \u4eca\u65e5\u5fd9\u3057\u3044\u3051\u3093\u884c\u3051\u3093\u3002
            (\u304d\u3087\u3046 \u3044\u305d\u304c\u3057\u3044 \u3051\u3093 \u3044\u3051\u3093\u30fbkyou isogashii ken iken<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            \u201c\u3058\u3083\u201d instead of \u201c\u3060\u201d or \u201c\u3067\u3059\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Hiroshima-ben often replaces the standard \u3060 (\u3060\u30fbda)<\/strong> or \u3067\u3059 (\u3067\u3059\u30fbdesu)<\/strong> with \u3058\u3083 (\u3058\u3083\u30fbja)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Standard: \u3053\u308c\u306f\u672c\u3060\u3002
              (\u3053\u308c\u306f \u307b\u3093 \u3060\u30fbkore wa hon da<\/strong>)
              \u201cThis is a book.\u201d
              Hiroshima-ben: \u3053\u308c\u306f\u672c\u3058\u3083\u3002
              (\u3053\u308c\u306f \u307b\u3093 \u3058\u3083\u30fbkore wa hon ja<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              4. Pronunciation Variations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              Dropping the Final Vowel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              In casual speech, Hiroshima-ben often drops the final vowel of words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Standard: \u4f55\u3092\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\uff1f
                (\u306a\u306b \u3092 \u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u30fbnani wo shiteiru<\/strong>)
                Hiroshima-ben: \u4f55\u3057\u3068\u308b\u3093\uff1f
                (\u306a\u306b \u3057\u3068\u308b\u3093\u30fbnani shitorun<\/strong>)
                \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                \u201c\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093\u201d and \u201c\u3051\u3047\u201d Intonation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Words like \u3058\u3083\u3051\u3093 (jaken)<\/strong> (because) and \u3051\u3047 (ke)<\/strong> (used for emphasis) have a soft, distinctive rise and fall in pitch that makes Hiroshima-ben instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Practice These Hiroshima-ben Phrases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                • Good Morning: \u304a\u306f\u3088\u3046\u3055\u3093\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3047 (\u304a\u306f\u3088\u3046 \u3055\u3093 \u3058\u3083\u3051\u3047\u30fbohayou san jakee<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • How are you?: \u8abf\u5b50\u306f\u3069\u3046\u3058\u3083\uff1f (\u3061\u3087\u3046\u3057 \u306f \u3069\u3046 \u3058\u3083\u30fbchoushi wa dou ja<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • I\u2019m hungry: \u304a\u8179\u3059\u3044\u305f\u3051\u3093\u3001\u4f55\u304b\u98df\u3079\u306b\u884c\u3053\u3046\u3084\u3002
                  (\u304a\u306a\u304b \u3059\u3044\u305f\u3051\u3093\u3001\u306a\u306b\u304b \u305f\u3079 \u306b \u3044\u3053\u3046\u3084\u30fbonaka suita ken, nanika tabe ni ikou ya<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Thank you: \u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046\u3055\u3093\u3058\u3083 (\u3042\u308a\u304c\u3068\u3046 \u3055\u3093 \u3058\u3083\u30fbarigatou san ja<\/strong>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Final Tips for Learning Hiroshima-ben<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  1. Immerse Yourself<\/strong>
                    Listen to Hiroshima-based media, such as local TV shows, movies, or interviews. The Hiroshima-based film Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni<\/em> (\u3053\u306e\u4e16\u754c\u306e\u7247\u9685\u306b\u30fbkono sekai no katasumi ni<\/strong>) offers great examples of Hiroshima-ben in natural conversation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  2. Practice with Locals<\/strong>
                    If you\u2019re in Hiroshima or have friends from the area, don\u2019t hesitate to practice. Locals will appreciate your effort to learn their dialect!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  3. Focus on Context<\/strong>
                    Hiroshima-ben uses many phrases that vary depending on the situation. By paying attention to the context, you\u2019ll pick up the correct nuances.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                    Hiroshima-ben is an exciting and colorful dialect that offers a fresh perspective on Japanese language and culture. Whether you\u2019re traveling to Hiroshima or simply want to deepen your understanding of regional Japanese, learning Hiroshima-ben is a rewarding experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \u3058\u3083\u3051\u3047\u3001\u304c\u3093\u3070\u3063\u3066\u7df4\u7fd2\u3057\u3093\u3055\u3044\u3088\uff01
                    (\u3058\u3083\u3051\u3047\u3001\u304c\u3093\u3070\u3063\u3066 \u308c\u3093\u3057\u3085\u3046 \u3057\u3093\u3055\u3044\u3088\u30fbjakee, ganbatte renshuu shinsai yo!)<\/strong>
                    \u201cSo, keep practicing hard!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    If you\u2019re studying Japanese and want to expand your understanding beyond standard Japanese (\u6a19\u6e96\u8a9e\u30fb\u3072\u3087\u3046\u3058\u3085\u3093\u3054\u30fbhyoujungo), exploring regional dialects (\u65b9\u8a00\u30fb\u307b\u3046\u3052\u3093\u30fbhougen) can be a fascinating journey. One of the most unique and vibrant dialects is Hiroshima-ben (\u5e83\u5cf6\u5f01\u30fb\u3072\u308d\u3057\u307e\u3079\u3093\u30fbhiroshimaben), spoken in Hiroshima Prefecture and surrounding areas. In this blog post, we\u2019ll explore the key features of Hiroshima-ben, including common phrases, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,33],"tags":[47],"class_list":["post-1636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dialects","category-grammar","tag-hiroshima"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/06E19BE4-6ADA-4531-AF20-CB43C34A9EC8.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1636"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1643,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions\/1643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joyokanjikai.com\/learning-japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}