# Okinawan Language



## RyuShiKan (Jan 6, 2003)

Since there seems to be an interest in the Okinawan Language I thought I would throw this up for folks to look at.

Sample of Okinawan Words and Phrases

1 - One	tii chi
2 - Two	taa chi
3 - Three	mii chi
4 - Four	yuu chi
5 - Five	ichi chi
6 - Six	muu chi
7 - Seven	nana chi
8 - Eight	yaa chi
9 - Nine	kuku nuchi
10 - Ten	tuu
100 - One Hundred	hyaa ku
Good Morning	ukimi soo chii
Good day	hai sai
Or	chuu wuga nabira
Good evening	hai sai
Good night	uyukuimi soori
Good bye	guburii sabira
How do you do?	hajimita wuga nabira
How are you?	uganjuu yami seemi
Fine thank you.	uu ganjuu sooi biin
Thank you very much	nifee deebiru
I beg your pardon	chaa bira
Excuse me	guburii sabura
I'm sorry	guburii sabitan
That's all right	shiwaa neebi ran
Please hurry	isujimi sooree
Don't hurry please	yoonnaa shimi sooree
What's this?	kuree nuuyaibiiga
How much is it?	uree chassa yai biiga
Do you have anything cheaper?	naahin yassa shiga ami seemi
Hello 	moshi moshi
This is Michael 	michael yai biin
Just a minute please	ufee macchi kwimi sooree
I'll call back later	atukara kakiya biisa
Delicious	maa san
It's HOT!	achiisaiibin-do 
Ouch!	agaa!! 
Expression - Surprise, anger, "Oh my gawd!"	akisamiyoo!
Person who talks loudly, yelling	abiyaa 
It's hot, isn't it?	achisan yaa tai 
Okinawan doughnut	andagii 
Mother	anmaa or ayaa 
Pig's feet soup	ashitibichi 
Literally " Are you healthy?"	chya gan jyuu?
Good afternoon	chyu uganabira
Person	chu 
Good looking	chyuura kagi
Pardon me. May I come in? (Used when entering a home.)	chaabira sai. 
How do you do?	chuu uganabira
People	chu (short sound) 
Have you been well?	chaa ganjuu yaibiimi tai 
Very(much)	deijii 
Crazy person	furaagwa 
Glutton	Gachiimaya
Mosquito	Gaajyan 
Excuse me.	Guuburi sabida 
Castle	Gusuku 
Person	Guwa 
dirty	Hagoosa 
Hello. (everyday greeting)	Hai sai
I'm glad to meet you.	Hajimiti uganabira. 
Nice weather we are having 	Il kwaa chichi 
Please come in.	Ii misooree 
Intoxicated	Iichyaa
Small/short	Inchyaasa
money	jin
Good (very)	Jooto
Hair	Karajii
Come here.	kumankai kuuwa
Said before eating a meal. 	Kuwachi sabida
It was very delicious/ may I be excused.	Kuwachi sabitan 
Where are you going?	maa kai ga 
Large big	magii 
Tasty, delicious	maasan 
Please come back again.	Mataa mensore 
Welcome.	Mensooree. 
Bring to me	Muchiku
Thank you.	Nifee deebiru. 
Sleepy	Nibuii
Sleepy head	niibu yaa
Sweetheart (besides one's wife); girlfriend	ningurugwaa
Goodbye	njichabira
Life is a treasure.	Nuchi Du Takara
What are you doing?	Nuu sou ga?
Application	Oyoo (Japanese - bunkai)
Honorific Mr. Ms.	Sai
Teacher	Shinshi (Japanese - Sensei) 
Hand	Ti
Okinawa	Uchina
The Okinawan language	Uchina guchi
Do you understand Okinawan?	Uchinaa-guchi wakai miseemi. 
Yes, I understand a little.	Uu, ufee wakai biin. 
People from Okinawa	Uchinanchu
Rascal	uumaku
Yes	Uun
You	Unjyu
You (polite)	unju 
Please	Unige sabida
I don't understand	Wakaya bidan
I understand	Wakaya bitan
I, me, myself	Wan
Child	Waraba
I'm Sorry.	Wa sai bin
Japan	Yamato
Japanese people	Yamatonchu
Japanese language	Yamatoguchi
Not good looking	yanakaagii
Bad weather isn't it?	Yanakwaa chichi
Loud, noisy	Yagui
Bad child	Yana waraban
Rest awhile.	yukuimisooree
talkative	yuntaku

Okinawan Proverbs 

Ataishi turu atairu. - We get along well with those we can get along with well. 
Achinee ya tankaa mankaa. - Business is a two-way street. 
Aramun jooguu ya duu ganjuu. - One who eats plain food is healthy. 
Ichariba choodee. - Once we meet and talk, we are brothers and sisters. 
Uya yushi kwa yushi. - Parents and children teach one another. 
Kaagee kaa ru ya ru. - Beauty is skin deep. 
Kamuru ussaa mii nayun. - The more you eat, the more you gain. 
Kuu sa kana sa. - Small things are lovable. 
Kuchi ganga naa ya yakutatan. - A smooth talker is a good-for-nothing person. 
Kutubaa. Jin chikee. - Spend words as efficiently as money. 
Kutuba noo ushikumaran. - A word can't be recalled once spoken. 
Shikinoo chui shiihii shiru kurasuru. - Let's live helping each other in this world. 
Shinjichi nu ada nayumi. - Kindness will never be wasted in any way. 
Jin too waraaran kwa tu ru waraariiru. - We can laugh happily with our children, but not with money. 
Chu uyamee ru duu uyamee. - If you respect others, they will respect you. 
Choo kukuru ru dee ichi. - The heart is the most essential human quality. 
Tusui ya tatashina mun. Warabee shikashina mun. - The old should be Treated with due respect. Children should be treated with gentleness. 
Tusui ya takara. - The old people are treasures to us. 
Miitundaa duu tichi. - Man and wife are one flesh. 
Nuchi nu sadamee wakaran. - Only God knows one's term of life. 
Machushi garu ufu iyoo tuyuru. - One who waits patiently will catch a big fish. 
Miinai chichi nai. - We learn by watching and listening. 
Mii ya tin niru aru. - Our fates are as registered by heaven. 
Munoo yuu iyuru mun. - Speak well of others. 
Yaasa ru maasaru. - Food is delicious when one is hungry. 
Duu nu duu ya duu shiru shiyuru. - You know your body best. 
Choo kani ru deeichi. - Common sense is essential. 
Yii kutoo isugi. - Do good things quickly. 
Chira kaagi yaka chimu gukuru. - Kind hearts are better than fair faces. 
Yuu ya shititin mii ya shitinna. - Even if you hide yourself from the world, don't lose sight of your real nature. 
Nmarijima nu kutuba wasshii nee kuni n wasshiin. - Forgetting your native tongue means forgetting your native country. 
Ashibi nu chura saa ninju nu sunawai. - The more the merrier. 
Acha nu neen chi ami. - Tomorrow is a new day. 
Yikiga nu kutubaa shuumun gaai. - A man's word is his honor. 
Mookiraa kwee michi shiri. - Once you have made a fortune, know how to spend it.


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## Mike Clarke (Jan 6, 2003)

Thanks for that RyuShinKan. 
I don't think many people understand the differences between the Japanese and the Okinawans at all. 
Their approach to karate for example is [in my experience] as different as the language.

Cheers,
Mike.


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## GojuBujin (Jan 8, 2003)

Osu, 

That's really neat, there aren't many left that just speak the pure Okinawan language.  I think allot of the Okinawans today, kinda have a Japanase dialect of their own.

Michael
www.inigmasoft.com/goyukai
www.dentokanhombu.com


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## RyuShiKan (Jan 8, 2003)

Many Okinawans have an Okinawan accent when they speak Japanese.
In fact most people not from Tokyo have an accent when they speak Japanese.

You are right, there are getting fewer and fewer people that speak Okinawan and lately there has been a movement to bring back the language.


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## Bob Hubbard (Jan 8, 2003)

Are there any good sources for learning it?  Book, video or online?


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## RyuShiKan (Jan 8, 2003)

I have found very few books on it in English.
In Okinawa I found a couple of books in Japanese that taught Okinawan.
That was kind of hard studying a foreign language using a foreign language.


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## SRyuFighter (Jan 8, 2003)

Well done. I agree Mike Clarke their approaches to everything are absolutely different.


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## ajholmes (Feb 3, 2003)

That list is fantastic 

How about common okinawan words that you would hear in the dojo?  For instance... what is the okinawan word for 'dojo'?   (e.g. punch, kick, block, etc.)

cheers!


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## tshadowchaser (Feb 3, 2003)

I'll add my thanks for the list.  Well done and informative.
And I'll 2nd a request for a few more words if you have them that pertain to the practice of the Martial Arts.
tshadowchaser:asian:


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## yilisifu (Feb 3, 2003)

Fascinating!  I had no idea how different the Okinawan language is from Japanese.


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## Jill666 (Feb 3, 2003)

One of the Japanese words I like is Buyu "warrior friend".

Same idea behind ichariba choodee. We are a clan, and it is good to learn things that bring the community closer in understanding. 

Ok, that was preachy, wasn't it? Should I skip that next beer?
Nahh.


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## Jill666 (Feb 3, 2003)

I hadn't noticed-


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## jazkiljok (Mar 29, 2003)

do Okinawan's refer to anyone as a "grandmaster"? Judan is said to mean simply "ten" dan-- practical if not enlightening but is there an Okinawan term equivalent to  "grandmaster"?


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## kenmpoka (Mar 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jazkiljok _
> *do Okinawan's refer to anyone as a "grandmaster"? Judan is said to mean simply "ten" dan-- practical if not enlightening but is there an Okinawan term equivalent to  "grandmaster"? *


 Well, I don't know about "Grandmaster", but Okinawan/Japanese use teaching ranks that denote their experience. These are Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi. So a Judan will most probably be a Hanshi. I have also seen the term 'Soke' used for founder/inheritor of systems in some cases. In some Okinawan systems these teaching ranks are shown with stripes on the belt. One for Renshi, two for kyoshi and three for Hanshi. Also terms like Shihan, Saiko Shihan and O'sensei refer  to about the same as GM . What do you think RyuShiKan?

 :asian:


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## RyuShiKan (Mar 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by kenmpoka _
> *Well, I don't know about "Grandmaster", but Okinawan/Japanese use teaching ranks that denote their experience. These are Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi. So a Judan will most probably be a Hanshi. I have also seen the term 'Soke' used for founder/inheritor of systems in some cases. In some Okinawan systems these teaching ranks are shown with stripes on the belt. One for Renshi, two for kyoshi and three for Hanshi. Also terms like Shihan, Saiko Shihan and O'sensei refer  to about the same as GM . What do you think RyuShiKan?
> 
> :asian: *



These titles differ from dojo to dojo.

Renshi= 5/6th dan

Kyoshi= 7/8th dan

Tashi = 9th dan

Hanshi = 10th dan

Also, I have never heard an Okinawan in Okinawa use the title Soke.
The title Soke is strictly from Japanese Koryu.


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## jazkiljok (Mar 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RyuShiKan _
> *These titles differ from dojo to dojo.
> 
> Renshi= 5/6th dan
> ...



do these simply translate into titles of numerical order  or is there a "meaning" to each title -- would these titles be used elsewhere in the language or only pertaining to Martial Arts?

thanks in advance for all responses.


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## kenmpoka (Mar 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RyuShiKan _
> *These titles differ from dojo to dojo.
> 
> Renshi= 5/6th dan
> ...


Thats how I have those ranks as well. not to be argumentative my friend but "Soke'is used by a few in Okinawa one of which is the Isa sensei of uhuchiku-den kobudo. His students as I recall always refered to him as "soke". There a few more I just don't recall their names right now. They will come to me tho.

Good to have you back here.

:asian:


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## kenmpoka (Mar 30, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jazkiljok _
> *do these simply translate into titles of numerical order  or is there a "meaning" to each title -- would these titles be used elsewhere in the language or only pertaining to Martial Arts?
> 
> thanks in advance for all responses. *


These terms have meaning of their own but  they are all teaching titles of different level in conjunction with relative "dan" ranking.

:asian:


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## RyuShiKan (Mar 31, 2003)

> _Originally posted by kenmpoka _
> *Thats how I have those ranks as well. not to be argumentative my friend but "Soke'is used by a few in Okinawa one of which is the Isa sensei of uhuchiku-den kobudo. His students as I recall always refered to him as "soke". There a few more I just don't recall their names right now. They will come to me tho.
> 
> Good to have you back here.
> ...



I am wondering whether his students just call him Soke or if he actually uses the title.
Either way he is not really a Soke (see definition of Soke somewhere on this board)., he is however a founder of his own system. The Uhuchiku Kobudo you speak of was from Shosei Kina but Isa tesches something that is a bit different than what he learned.
He also teaches his own version of Shorin Ryu Karate. 
By the way, I have met Isa on one of my trips to Okinawa and was not really impressed with his skill.he seemed as bad or as good as any other of the 1,000 or so karate teachers on Okinawa.


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## kenmpoka (Mar 31, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RyuShiKan _
> *I am wondering whether his students just call him Soke or if he actually uses the title.
> Either way he is not really a Soke (see definition of Soke somewhere on this board)., he is however a founder of his own system. The Uhuchiku Kobudo you speak of was from Shosei Kina but Isa tesches something that is a bit different than what he learned.
> He also teaches his own version of Shorin Ryu Karate.
> By the way, I have met Isa on one of my trips to Okinawa and was not really impressed with his skill.he seemed as bad or as good as any other of the 1,000 or so karate teachers on Okinawa. *


True he has put his own signature on what he teaches. As far as his skills, I was rarely impressed with the Okinawan/Japanese except with a few. I was more impressed with couple of Isa's senior students. I have a tape of some sort of celebration in Okinawa where various schools demonstrate their karate and kobudo. I was shocked to how terrible they looked. We have much better talents in the U.S.

Soke Peter T.
:asian:


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