Slang

1. いっぺー

   Ip-pee

   Very / a lot

   Usage

   The Okinawan intensifier. "Ippee nifee deebiru" means "thank you very much". Safe with anyone

2. じょーとー

   Joo-too

   Great / top quality

   Usage

   From the Sino-Japanese "jōtō" (first-rate). Praise for goods, situations and people alike — safe with anyone, including a shopkeeper's wares

3. だからよー

   Da-ka-ra-yoo

   Right, exactly

   Usage

   Okinawa's most famous filler. It simply signals agreement and carries no obligation to explain further. Safe with anyone, and saying it breaks the ice fast

4. てーげー

   Tee-gee

   Easygoing / roughly right

   Usage

   From "taigai" (roughly). It names the Okinawan habit of not sweating the details. Safe about your own attitude — aimed at someone's work it accuses them of cutting corners

5. ゆんたく

   Yun-ta-ku

   Chatting together

   Usage

   Sitting around talking at length — the Okinawan social ritual, and a common name for guesthouses and cafes. A safe invitation to extend to anyone

6. かめーかめー

   Ka-mee-ka-mee

   Eat, eat!

   Usage

   The imperative of "kamun" (to eat), doubled. It is the emblem of Okinawan hospitality — the food keeps coming however much you decline, hence the joke about the "kamee-kamee assault". Elders say it to guests, so as a visitor you will be on the receiving end

7. ちゃーがんじゅー

   Chaa-gan-juu

   Always in good health

   Usage

   "Chaa" (always) plus "ganjuu" (healthy) — a phrase fitting for the island of longevity, and usable as a parting wish. Older people especially appreciate hearing it

8. うちなーんちゅ

   U-chi-naan-chu

   Okinawan person

   Usage

   "Uchinaa" (Okinawa) plus "nchu" (person) — how Okinawans proudly name themselves, and the name of the Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival held every five years. Safe for a visitor to use respectfully

9. やまとぅんちゅ

   Ya-ma-tun-chu

   Mainland Japanese person

   Usage

   "Yamatu" (mainland Japan) plus "nchu" (person) — a neutral term. The safest use is about yourself: "wannee yamatunchu", I am from the mainland

10. ちゃんぷるー

    Chan-pu-ruu

    A mix of everything

    Usage

    Originally the stir-fry, but also used for anything mixed together — Okinawan culture itself is called "chanpuruu culture". Safe with anyone

11. あきさみよー

    A-ki-sa-mi-yoo

    Oh my goodness!

    Usage

    An exclamation of shock or dismay, close to "oh no". Safe about your own mishaps; shouted at someone else's it sounds like blame

12. あがっ

    A-gat

    Ouch!

    Usage

    The Okinawan "ouch". Safe with anyone — the sound that escapes you when you knock into something

13. わじわじー

    Wa-ji-wa-jii

    Getting irritated

    Usage

    A characteristically Okinawan reduplication for anger building slowly. Use it to explain how you feel — aimed at a person it sounds accusatory

14. じこー

    Ji-koo

    Super / really

    Usage

    Zikoo means "very; extremely" as in zikoo churasan, "very beautiful". It is a common-speaker equivalent of ippee; use ippee when you want the safest neutral intensifier.

15. もーあしび

    Moo-a-shi-bi

    Moo-ashibi (village night gathering)

    Usage

    The old custom of village youth gathering in the fields at night to play the sanshin, sing and dance. The word survives mostly in the names of izakaya and folk-song bars — using it for a modern night out sounds deliberately old-fashioned

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