Japanese word

方言

Pronunciation

Romajihōgen

Meaning

  • noundialect

Example

若者はその方言をあまり使いません。waka mono wa so no hō gen o a ma ri tsuka i ma se n

Young people do not use that dialect much.

Illustration for 方言 (dialect)

More examples

祖父は電話で方言を交えて話します。so fu wa den wa de hō gen o maji e te hana shi ma su

My grandfather mixes dialect into his speech on the phone.

Core concept

Describes a form of speech associated with a particular region or social group rather than the whole language community.

Common phrases

  • 方言で話すhō gen de hana su

    speak in a dialect

  • 方言を使うhō gen o tsuka u

    use a dialect

  • 地元の方言ji moto no hō gen

    the local dialect

  • 方言を交えるhō gen o maji e ru

    mix in a dialect

  • 方言が出るhō gen ga de ru

    slip into a dialect

Similar words

訛りnamari: A way of pronouncing a language that reflects a speaker's region or social group.
地方語chihōgo: A regional variety of a language whose words or grammar differ from the standard form.
お国言葉okunikotoba: An informal term for the local speech of a particular region or community.

Definition in Japanese

特定の地域や社会集団で使われる、標準語とは異なる語彙・文法・発音などの特徴を持つ言葉。toku tei no chi iki ya sha kai shū dan de tsuka wa re ru hyō jun go to wa koto na ru go i bun pō hatsu on na do no toku chō o mo tsu koto ba

Word origin

方言 (hōgen) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 方 (hō, "direction") and 言 (gen, "speech"), referring to speech tied to a region.

Usage tips

  • In English, dialect can include grammar and vocabulary as well as pronunciation, while accent usually refers only to pronunciation.

Other meanings

  • provincialismnoun

Related words

  • 方言的hōgentekidialectalna-adjective

Word lists with this word