Nightlife

1. かりー！

   Ka-rii!

   Cheers!

   Usage

   The Okinawan toast at izakayas and bars when starting to drink

   Grammar Note

   Karii is a uniquely Okinawan toast word; etymologically from "to borrow" but used as a good-luck cheer

2. あわもりぬまびーん

   A-wa-mo-ri nu-ma-biin

   I will drink awamori (Okinawan rice spirit)

   Usage

   Ordering or declaring you will drink awamori — Okinawa's indigenous distilled rice spirit Note: the Okinawan word for awamori is aamui (?aamui, あーむい); awamori is the Japanese form, but it is what every bottle and menu says.

   Grammar Note

   Numabiin is the polite Ryukyuan form of "to drink"; awamori is typically served on the rocks or with water

3. オリオンビール くぃみそーれー

   O-ri-on-bii-ru kwi-mi-soo-ree

   Please give me an Orion Beer

   Usage

   Ordering Orion Beer — Okinawa's beloved local brewery, founded in 1957

   Grammar Note

   Kwimisooree is the polite equivalent of "please give me"; draft Orion is the staple at Okinawan izakayas

4. えいさー あいびーみ？

   Ei-saa a-i-bii-mi?

   Is there eisa (Okinawan dance) being performed?

   Usage

   Asking whether eisa — the traditional Okinawan Bon dance — is being performed

   Grammar Note

   Aibiimi is the polite yes/no question form of "to be/exist" (aibiin), here "is there eisa?"; eisa festivals are most common during Obon season

5. なんどぅちんかい みちやびーが？

   Nan-du-chi-n-kai mi-chi-ya-bii-ga?

   What time do you close?

   Usage

   Politely asking what time a bar or izakaya closes

   Grammar Note

   "To close" is michiyun (mici=juN "to shut a door or lid"); the open/close pair appears in the example akitai michitai "opening and closing". Shimi (simi) means "a total" or "ink, learning", never "to close up shop". The time particle "at" is nkai

6. さんしん ふぃちゃびらに？

   San-shin fi-cha-bi-ra-ni?

   Shall we play the sanshin (three-string lute)?

   Usage

   Inviting someone to join in playing sanshin at an izakaya or minshuku evening gathering

   Grammar Note

   To play a string instrument is the verb hwicuN, as in saNsiN hwicuN. Okinawan has no plain "hi", so the form begins fi-

7. くーすぬあわもりぬまびーん

   Kuu-su nu a-wa-mo-ri nu-ma-biin

   I will drink kuusu (aged awamori)

   Usage

   Ordering or declaring you will drink kuusu — Okinawa's aged premium awamori Note: the Okinawan word for awamori is aamui (?aamui, あーむい); awamori is the Japanese form, but it is what every bottle and menu says.

   Grammar Note

   Kuusu is awamori aged over three years; the premium spirit of choice for special Okinawan gatherings. Also written kuusju; kuusuu is a different word (a tree lizard, Tomigusuku)

8. えいさー んーじが いちゃびらに？

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

   Shall we go watch eisa?

   Usage

   Inviting someone to watch an eisa performance at a night festival or street event

   Grammar Note

   "Njiga icabirani" means "shall we go to watch?": njiga = to see, icabira = polite invitation to go, ni = question. Obon night eisa performances are spectacular

9. なーぬみびらに？

   Naa nu-mi-bi-ra-ni?

   Shall we have one more drink?

   Usage

   Casually suggesting another round at a drinking gathering

   Grammar Note

   Numibiraani is the invitation form of "to drink"; naa adds the nuance of "one more time/one more round"

10. くゎっちーさびたん！かりーさびら！

    Kwa-t-chii sa-bi-tan! Ka-rii sa-bi-ra!

    What a feast! Let's toast!

    Usage

    A vibrant end-of-evening expression combining gratitude for the feast and a final toast

    Grammar Note

    Karii sabira combines the toast word karii with the polite volitional suffix sabira

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