Japanese 101: Kansai Dialect app for iPhone and iPad
Developer: JapanNewbie.com
First release : 30 May 2009
App size: 12.58 Mb
- Featured in the July 2009 Issue of Kansai Scene!
- "Hundreds of useful Kansai-ben phrases with quizzes and recorded by a native speaker from that region--Awesome!"
With this application even beginners completely new to Japanese can learn to understand and speak phrases in the Japanese Kansai dialect (Kansai-ben).
Japanese 101: Kansai Dialect is fully functional on the iPhone and iPod Touch. There is no need to be connected to the Internet when using this application.
Japanese 101: Kansai Dialect includes 240+ Japanese Kansai-ben phrases and expressions, including the Japanese text, romaji (Japanese written using English characters), and an English translation for each.
Most phrases also include notes that explain what the expression would be in standard Japanese (標準語 hyoujungo) or give other cultural tidbits of interest.
You can also hear a native Japanese voice actress from Osaka speak each phrase at native speed and additionally at a slower speed to ensure that you catch every syllable.
If you have seen Japanese comedy game shows, movies, or spoken with Japanese people from Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, or Nara, you’ve probably noticed that they often use phrases and expressions that you cannot find in your textbooks... or even in your dictionary!
These Kansai-jin (people from West Japan, i.e., the Kansai area) are using the colorful and fun expressions from the Kansai dialect. Now you can learn a wealth of key Kansai-ben phrases on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
You can study these Kansai-ben phrases in three different ways with this application.
1) Study Pages: See a list of the phrases and expressions on one convenient, scrollable page organized by category. Touch the phrase of interest to see a page with the Japanese text, the romaji, the English translation, and the notes. Touch again to hear the phrase spoken by a native Japanese voice actress from Osaka at native speed. You can also hear the phrase spoken extra slowly to be sure to catch every syllable.
2) Flash Cards: Select one of the categories; choose to display the Japanese or the English on the front of the flashcard; swipe your finger to flip the card to see the meaning and notes; and tap the sound icon to hear it spoken.
3) Quiz Mode: Select one or more categories and 15 random multiple-choice questions will be generated from those categories. Test your knowledge in a fun and interactive way. After the quiz finishes you can review the phrases you missed.
This application was created in cooperation with the team at TheJapanesePage.com, so those familiar with their "Japanese Phrases" and "Japanese Idioms" iPhone applications will know that this is yet another application that beginners and advanced learners alike will enjoy.
If youre still not convinced, youll also get one FREE $5 download from TheJapanShop.coms instant download collection of Japanese lessons and readers when you purchase this application.
Looking forward to your feedback!
まいどおおきに！
Maido Ookini!
Latest reviews of Japanese 101: Kansai Dialect app for iPhone and iPad
Needs more vocabulary.
Its a great app, most definitely. I only wish it had a vocabulary section instead of just set phrases... But I would still highly recommend it!!!
Hundreds of useful Kansai-ben phrases with quizzes and recorded by a native speaker from that region--Awesome! I am a perpetual student of Japanese, but I have always been weak on the Kanasi dialect. This app helps greatly. If you are interested in Kansai ben (what student of Japanese wouldnt want to understand Manzai?!), definitely get this app. Are you a beginner? No problem. While it is probably best to begin learning a dialect after mastering the Tokyo dialect, I think even beginners of Japanese ought to learn the basics of the most widely used dialect in Japan. The words and examples all have romaji in addition to the "real" Japanese.
This app is really useful if you want to understand TV shows and such in Kansai-ben. I found the quiz to be the most helpful section, but including sentences and usage notes for each phrase/word really takes this app to a new level, compared to the many other Japanese apps out there. I hope you will make other apps in this format!
If you ever want to watch Japanese TV, you need this app. Much of the comedy on variety shows is in Kansai-ben, which is seldom even mentioned in standard textbooks. I dont know why, but a lot of these phrases are just intuitively funny and fun to learn, even for a non-native speaker. There is a lot of content here already, but a few more categories would really make this the perfect app! Great work!