Japanese word

なまり

Pronunciation

Romajinamari

Meaning

  • nounaccent

Example

彼のなまりは強いです。kare no na ma ri wa tsuyo i de su

His accent is strong.

Illustration for なまり (accent)

More examples

祖母のなまりを聞くと、故郷を思い出します。so bo no na ma ri o ki ku to ko kyō o omo i da shi ma su

When I hear my grandmother's accent, I remember my hometown.

Core concept

Refers to the distinctive sound of speech created by pronunciation patterns associated with a region or speaker.

Common phrases

  • 強いなまりtsuyo i na ma ri

    strong accent

  • 地方のなまりchi hō no na ma ri

    regional accent

  • なまりを隠すna ma ri o kaku su

    hide an accent

Similar words

訛音kaon: A form of pronunciation that reflects the speech patterns of a particular area or group.
アクセントakusento: A pattern of stress or pitch that distinguishes speech sounds or marks a region.
イントネーションintonēshon: The changing pitch used across connected speech.

Definition in Japanese

地域や話し手の特徴によって、標準とは異なって聞こえる発音や話し方。chi iki ya hana shi te no toku chō ni yo tte hyō jun to wa koto na tte ki ko e ru hatsu on ya hana shi kata

Word origin

なまり (namari, "accent") is a noun formed from なまる (namaru, "to speak with altered pronunciation"), a native Japanese verb.

Usage tips

  • A speaker can have a なまり (namari) even when speaking the same language as everyone else, because the word focuses on pronunciation rather than on a separate language.

Word lists with this word