 
|  | | Miyakonojo Dialect |  |
Learn How to Speak Miyakonojo-ben!
There are a variety of websites and resources available out there for learning standard Japanese, but the
goal of this page is to help you learn a little about the unique dialect spoken here in Miyakonojo -
Miyakonojo-ben.
If you can already read some Japanese, check out website 1 or 2 for a concise list of vocabulary and
inflection styles.
The following information was gathered mainly from the Japanese part of the City of Miyakonojo’s website.
There are various distinctions that set the Miyakonojo dialect apart from other dialects of Japanese.
Pronunciation
The Miyakonojo dialect is a variation of the Satsuma dialect of southern Kyushu. However, its accents and
intonation set it apart from the dialect spoken in Kagoshima.
According to Kadokawa publishing’s Kokugo Jiten, there are four types of accents in Japanese:
1) The Kyoto-Osaka accent
2) The Tokyo-Yokohama accent
3) The Saitama-Tohoku, parts of Yamanashi and Shimane, and the southwest Kyushu region including
Nagasaki and Kagoshima accent
4) The Kitamorokata accent, centered in Miyakonojo
About 80-90% of the lexicon of the Miyakonojo dialect is the same as that of the Satsuma dialect. However,
the differences in accent and intonation make it drastically different. Namely, the Satsuma dialect is rich in
changes of intonation, but the Miyakonojo dialect is extremely flat, with a characteristic rise at the end of
words.
Words that are different from the Kagoshima dialect
If you compare some words from what is spoken in Miyakonojo with what is spoken in Kagoshima, you can see
that some vocabulary is completely different. The following is by no means complete, but offers a list of
examples of the differences in terminology.
Standard
Japanese
| Miyakonojo Dialect
| Kagoshima
(Satsuma) Dialect
| English
| 辛い（つらい）
| コエ
| テセ
| tough, painful
| 小さい（ちいさい）
| コメ
| チンケ
| small
| お前は（おまえは）
| ワラ
| ワヤ
| you (informal)
| 誠に（まことに）
| マコチ
| ホンノコテ
| indeed, truly
| 早い（はやい）
| ハエ
| ハヤカ
| early, fast
| 寒い（さむい）
| サミ
| サムカ
| cold
| 蛙（かえる）
| ビッキョ
| ドンコ
| frog
| 赤飯（せきはん）
| マンカンメシ
| アズッメシ
| red rice (with
azuki beans)
| 行って（いって）
| イタッ
| イッセーニ
| to go
somewhere (
followed by what
you did after
going there)
| とんぼ
| パブタ
| ボイ
| dragonfly
| 河童（かっぱ）
| カグレ
| ガラッパ
| kappa
(Japanese water
imp)
| からい
| カレ
| カラカ
| spicy
| たくさん
| ドッサイ
| ズンバイ
| lots
| 度々（たびたび）
| ハタレッ
| ハイト
| repeatedly;
frequently
| さようなら
| インマナ
| ソイナー
| goodbye
| しかし
| ジャッドン
| ジャッドンカラ
| but; however
|
Another characteristic of the Miyakonojo dialect is the way emphasis is added to adjectives. In Kagoshima,
the end of a word is drawn out to add emphasis. In the Miyakonojo dialect, the adjective is repeated
TWICE with the particle モ added in the middle.
Examples:
English
| Standard
Japanese
| Miyakonojo Dialect
| Kagoshima
(Satsuma)
Dialect
| Very cold
| とても寒い（さむい）
| サミモサミ
| さむかぁ
| Very painful
| とても辛い（つらい）
| コエモコエ
| つらかぁ
| Very hot
| とても暑い（あつい）
| ヌキモヌキ
| あつかぁ
|
This is just a quick primer to help you learn some Miyakonojo-ben. If you would like to learn more, please
check out the vast array of Japanese-learning resources online, and look for more information about the
Satsuma dialect as well.
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Miyakonojo Dialect