#1337

Kansai Kyoto ben (Kansai Kyoto dialect)

I was born in Kyoto and raised up in Shiga (next to Kyoto). As I lived in Kansai area until I decided to move to Tokyo for job change when I was 30, people can tell I am from Kansai after talking with me for a while :-)

As I was working as a sales back then, I tried not to sound too Kansai person. But one thing made my kansai background obvious once in a while - that is by how I used "-haru" at the end of verb when talking about others doing something.

For example,

Do - Suru (Hyojungo) - Shiteharu (Kansai ben)
Go - Iku (Hyojungo) - Ikaharu (Kansai ben)
Look - Miru (Hyojungo) - Miteharu(Kansai ben)

The "-haru" is a kind of honorifics in Kyoto dialect and used in order to show some respect or gentle feeling to others. After growing in Kansai for a few decade, I felt uncomfortable to avoid using "-haru" even in Tokyo.

If you keep this in mind, you might be able to notice a subtle difference and find Kansai people in Tokyo rather easily. :-)

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