Dialect comparison

Kansai-ben vs Kyoto-ben

Compare two dialects of Japanese side by side — where they're spoken, what they're called, and how they relate.

Kansai-ben

Kansai dialect · Kinki dialect · Osaka-ben

The major dialect group of the Kansai region, with Osaka as its modern centre. Strongly distinct from Tokyo Japanese in pitch accent, copula forms, and idiom. Kyoto-ben is treated separately here.

Approximate centre
34.69°, 135.50°
Kyoto-ben

Kyō-kotoba · Kyoto dialect

The Kyoto variety of Kansai Japanese. Historically the prestige speech of the imperial court, marked by softer cadence, distinct honorific forms, and a long literary heritage.

Approximate centre
35.01°, 135.77°

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