Flirting

1. ちゅらかーぎーやいびーん

   Chu-ra-kaa-gii yai-biin

   You are a very beautiful person

   Usage

   A uniquely Okinawan compliment for someone's beauty, polite and can be used for anyone

   Grammar Note

   Churakagii means "beautiful form/face" — a classic Okinawan term of beauty that is polite and elegant

2. はじみてぃ あいびーん、にふぇーでーびる

   Ha-ji-mi-ti ai-biin, ni-fee-dee-bi-ru

   Nice to meet you, pleased to make your acquaintance

   Usage

   A sincere, polite opening greeting when meeting someone you are interested in

   Grammar Note

   Nifedeebiru serves both as "thank you" and "pleased to meet you" in first-meeting contexts

3. また いちゃびらに？

   Ma-ta i-cha-bi-ra-ni?

   Shall we meet again?

   Usage

   Politely suggesting you meet again with someone you are interested in

   Grammar Note

   To meet is the verb ?icajuN, whose polite negative invitation is ichabirani. Aibirani has no verb behind it. Note that this is a true homophone of the same form of "to go"

4. れんらくさき ならーち くぃり

   Ren-ra-ku-sa-ki na-raa-chi kwi-ri

   Please give me your contact information

   Usage

   Casually asking someone you like for their contact details

   Grammar Note

   To teach is naraasjuN, giving the gerund naraachi. Kwiri is its imperative for "give me", as in ?uree waNniNkai kwiri "give me that". Uchiketi does not exist, and kuree means a rank or an approximate amount. There is no Okinawan word for contact details, so the Japanese one stays

5. にふぇー、ちむじゅらさん

   Ni-fee, chi-mu-ju-ra-san

   Thank you, you are so kind

   Usage

   Thanking someone for their kindness in a warm and natural way

   Grammar Note

   Nifee is the noun nihwee (gratitude). Kind is cimuzurasaN, literally "beautiful of heart". There is no such word as yashisan

6. えいさー まじゅん んーじが いちゃびらに？

   Ei-saa ma-jun n-ji-ga i-cha-bi-ra-ni?

   Shall we go watch eisa together?

   Usage

   Asking someone to watch eisa dance together — a romantic Okinawan summer date suggestion

   Grammar Note

   Together is mazuN, as in "going together with an elder brother". "Going to see" uses the stem of 'NNzuN plus the purposive -ga, the same shape as in "going to catch fish". There is no such form as too-ji-kan-ya

7. いりふぃ んーじ さんしん ふぃちゃびらに？

   I-ri-fi n-ji san-shin fi-cha-bi-ra-ni?

   Shall we watch the sunset and play the sanshin together?

   Usage

   A distinctly Okinawan romantic proposal — watching the sunset while playing the sanshin

   Grammar Note

   The word for a sunset is ?irihwi. Playing the sanshin is hwicuN, as in saNsiN hwicuN. Okinawan has no plain "hi", so the verb begins fi-

8. ちむじゅらさんやー、にふぇー

   Chi-mu-ju-ra-san yaa, ni-fee

   You are so kind, thank you

   Usage

   Warmly appreciating someone's kindness in a natural, approachable way

   Grammar Note

   Nifee is the casual short form of nifedeebiru; natural and warm in friendly conversation

9. くがにちゅらかーぎーやいびーん

   Ku-ga-ni-chu-ra-kaa-gii yai-biin

   You have the beauty of gold

   Usage

   An elegant Ryukyuan compliment praising someone's beauty as golden — the highest compliment

   Grammar Note

   Prefixing with kugani (gold) elevates the compliment to the highest level — a phrase found in Ryukyuan classical poetry

Browse all TravelPhrases languages