This is how people say "hello" in Okinawa. Men say "haisai". Women say "haitai". It is like saying "hi" in English.
はいさいPrimary
はいたい
This is how people say "hello" in Okinawa. Men say "haisai". Women say "haitai". It is like saying "hi" in English.
はいさい！元気にしてるね？
Hey! You're looking well, aren't you? (male speaker)
はいたい！久しぶりさー。
Hi! It's been a while. (female speaker)
空港に着いたら、地元のおじいが「はいさい！」と笑顔で迎えてくれた。
When I arrived at the airport, a local old man greeted me with a smiling 'Haisai!'.
沖縄の人が言う「はいさい」って、どういう意味なんですか？
What does 'haisai', which people from Okinawa say, mean?
はいさい！めんそーれ、沖縄へ！
Hello! Welcome to Okinawa! (e.g., a shopkeeper to tourists)
This greeting changes based on if you are a man or a woman. Men say "haisai." Women say "haitai." It's like choosing the right uniform for your team.
This is different from Japanese greetings. Words like 'good morning' change with the time. 'はいさい' and 'はいたい' do not change. You can use them any time of day. They are also not the same as 'めんそーれ'. That word means 'welcome'.
Watch out: Men say "haisai". Women say "haitai". Using the wrong one sounds strange. These words are only for saying hello. They are not for saying goodbye.
Use this when you want to say hello in Okinawan. It shows you are from Okinawa. Or it shows you like Okinawan culture. Many people know this greeting.
Contrasts with(1)
More formal alternatives(1)
Track your mastery
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.