Hakata Dialect: 20 Common Fukuoka Japanese Phrases and What They Mean

Hakata-ben is the dialect of Fukuoka City, on the island of Kyushu. It started in the old merchant town of Hakata and is now heard across the city and its suburbs. Not all of Fukuoka Prefecture speaks it: Kitakyushu and Kurume have dialects of their own. The phrases below are the ones you are most likely to hear in Fukuoka City today.

How Hakata-ben Changes Standard Japanese

Most of Hakata-ben is a small set of endings that replace standard ones. Once you know this table, many sentences you hear in Fukuoka become easy to follow.

Endings and Questions

These short endings are what people outside Fukuoka notice first. Two of them, ばい and たい, are the classic sound of Hakata-ben, though younger people in Fukuoka use them less.

～と？

Turns a sentence into a questionStandard Japanese: ～の？This is the best-known part of Hakata-ben. 行くと？ means "Are you going?"

なんしよーと？

What are you doing?Standard Japanese: 何してるの？Friends say this to start a chat. You will also hear なんばしよーと？ with the same meaning.

どげんしたと？

What happened? Are you okay?Standard Japanese: どうしたの？どげん means "how". こげん, そげん, and あげん work like こう, そう, and ああ.

～ばい

Adds strong emphasisStandard Japanese: ～よIt sounds sure and a little firm. Older speakers use it more than younger ones.

～たい

Shares something new with the listenerStandard Japanese: ～よGenki Japanese and Culture School, a school in Fukuoka, says it can sound like the story will go on.

～っちゃん

Gently stresses what you sayStandard Japanese: ～んだよYounger people in Fukuoka often say this where older people say たい.

～けん

Because, soStandard Japanese: ～からYou hear it all the time. After a noun it becomes やけん, so 雨やけん means "because it's raining".

ばってん

But, althoughStandard Japanese: けれどもIt is used across northern Kyushu, so you also hear it outside Fukuoka.

～ん

Makes a verb negativeStandard Japanese: ～ない食べん means "I won't eat it". Genki Japanese and Culture School says this ending is used outside Fukuoka too.

～とー

Shows a state that is true nowStandard Japanese: ～ている知っとー means "I know", and 持っとー means "I have it".

～よー

Shows an action happening right nowStandard Japanese: ～ている雨の降りよー means "it's raining right now". Here の marks the subject, like が.

Everyday Words

These words come up in shops, at work, and with friends. Some are only heard in casual talk, so the note says when.

よか

Good, fineStandard Japanese: いいよかよ means "sure, go ahead". もうよかです means "no thanks, I'm fine".

うまか

DeliciousStandard Japanese: うまいMany adjectives can end in か instead of い. Today this is mostly heard in exclamations, and younger people usually keep the い.

好いとーよ

I like you, I love youStandard Japanese: 好きだよThis is the famous Hakata way to say you like someone. In a 2022 All About survey of which dialect people most want to hear a confession in, Fukuoka came first.

ばり

Very, reallyStandard Japanese: とてもばりうまか means "really delicious".

ちかっぱ

Really, with all your mightStandard Japanese: とてもIt comes from 力いっぱい. It is casual.

せからしか

Noisy, annoyingStandard Japanese: うるさいIt is a bit rough, so save it for friends.

えずい

ScaryStandard Japanese: 怖いKochi's dialect has the same word.

なおす

To put something awayStandard Japanese: 片付けるIn standard Japanese なおす means "to fix". Much of western Japan uses it for "put away" too.

来んしゃい

Come here, please comeStandard Japanese: 来なさいThe ending んしゃい is a polite way to ask someone to do something.

How Hakata-ben Sounds

Japanese Wikipedia says Hakata-ben's word accent is close to Tokyo's. It has no flat words, though, so some words still sound different. Listen for せ too: some speakers say it closer to しぇ, as in しぇんしぇー for 先生.

You can't hear the phrases on this page. To hear them, watch Hakata Dialect Course with Chien Chien and Emily from FEEL FUKUOKA JAPAN or 5 Hakata Ben (Dialect) Everyday Words from Ai from Japan.

Practice Fukuoka Japanese in Lessons

Bubblegum is a language app that teaches Fukuoka Japanese on its own track, apart from standard Japanese. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons in Hakata-ben at your level, so you meet と, けん, and ばってん inside whole sentences.

For tutors, videos, and other ways to learn, see our guide to the best ways to learn Fukuoka Japanese. If you want a second dialect side by side, our Kansai-ben phrases page uses the same format.

Common Questions