Speak proper Kansai-ben with IKOKA and Nakama Yukie

Posted on 07. Mar, 2009 @ 11:25 pm by in Language, Osaka Views: 935

Intonation matters when speaking Japanese sometimes. In this video the mascot for ICOCA teaches Yukie Nakama how to properly say “ICOCA de ikouka” in Kansai dialect.

ICOCA Mascot: ICOCAで行こか
EN: “Shall we go using ICOCA?”

Nakama Yukie: ICOCAで行こうか
EN: “Shall we go using ICOCA?”

ちゃうちゃう、ICOCAで行こかや。
EN: “No-no-no, it’s, ‘shall we go using ICOCA?’”

Nakama Yukie: ICOCAで行こうか
EN: “Shall we go using ICOCA?”

ICOCA Mascot: ヒトの言うこと聞いてるか？！
EN: “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?!”

…

Nakama Yukie: ICOCAで行こか？
EN: “Shall we go using ICOCA?”

ICOCA Mascot: ええ感じ。
EN: “Nice…”

The product name is ICOCA, which is a play on words, because “ikouka” means “shall we go” in Japanese. So it’s like, “shall we go by ICOCA?”

- Harvey

Check out some Kansai-ben lessons on JapanNewbie.

[UPDATE] If you’re interested in Kansai-ben, check our our Kansai-ben iPhone Application! Japanese 101: Kansai Dialect

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  • http://www.xanga.com/notiangel Jilleen

    Hello there, stumbled upon your site when I was furiously googling for English translations of Japanese words as I’m revising for my Elementary 2 class. LOL Came upon your entry when you were preparing for JLPT 1 (which I’m working towards to), and got hooked to your site now! :)

    Found this entry hilarious yea. Nakama Yukie was the one who acted in Gokusen 1-3 yea? (:

  • krusha

    Intonation is indeed important, but he isn’t trying to correct her intonation.
    In Osaka dialect it’s not いこうか, it’s いこか. But she keeps saying いこうか but that’s not what he is saying.

  • Bogi

    no he is trying to correct her intonation. its true he isn’t saying ikou, but he is trying to correct her intonation on ka. she is still speaking osakaben wrong at the end, but her intonation is right.

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Firey debate on JapanNewbie! I’m sure about the intonation being the point here. listen carefully to where the inflection is. The first time I noticed this Kansai-ben infection difference was on the word 向こう。 Someone was explaining where something was to me and the difference hit me like a ton of bricks. Fun stuff!

    Jilleen, you’re right Nakama Yukie is the Gokusen actress. I’m actually slowly watching Gokusen 2 now. It’s fun stuff :-)

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