Kansai Dialect Mini-Lesson #25

What does “Youke ようけ/ Gyousan ぎょうさん” mean?

🌐 Language:繁体字 | 日本語

In Kansai, people don’t just say “takusan” for “a lot”—they say youke or gyousan! Which one do you use?

kansai dialect-25 youke

🧭 “Youke” and “Gyousan”: Two Ways to Say “a Lot” in Kansai

In Kansai dialect, the words youke and gyousan are both used to mean “a lot” or “many,” much like the standard Japanese word takusan.
Depending on the region and generation, people may use one more than the other—youke is often heard in Osaka or Hyogo, while gyousan tends to be more common in Kyoto or among older speakers.
Both are widely understood and can add a natural Kansai flavor to your everyday speech!

Kansai Dialect Conversation-youke, gyousan

🔍 Standard Japanese vs. Kansai Dialect: Saying “a Lot”

🗾 Standard Japanese

✅️ Example
🔸たくさんあるね〜(Takusan aru ne~)
➡That’s a lot!

🎯 Kansai Dialect

✅️ Example
ようけあるな〜 (Youke aru na~)
ぎょうさんあるな〜 (Gyousan aru na~)
➡ That’s a lot!

💡 Youke is more common in Osaka and Hyogo, while gyousan is often used in Kyoto and among older speakers.

💬 Sample Phrases Using "Youke/Gyousan" in Kansai Dialect

Kansai Dialect

1️⃣ こんなようけ食べられへんわ〜
 Konna youke taberarehen wa~
2️⃣ 昨日、ぎょうさん人が来とったで。
 Kinō, gyousan hito ga kitotta de.
3️⃣ スーパーでようけ買うてきた!
 Sūpā de youke kaūtekita!

English Translation

1️⃣ I can’t eat this much!

2️⃣ A lot of people came yesterday.

3️⃣ I bought a bunch of stuff at the supermarket!

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