関東弁(かんとうべん)

Refers to the dialects spoken in the Kanto region (関東地方(かんとうちほう)), which includes Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma prefectures. While standard Japanese (標準語(ひょうじゅんご)) was based largely on the Tokyo dialect, regional Kanto speech has its own distinctive features that differ from the standardized form.

Common collocations

• 関東弁(かんとうべん)で話(はな)す: to speak in the Kanto dialect
• 関東弁(かんとうべん)と関西弁(かんさいべん): Kanto dialect and Kansai dialect

Usage

The term is most commonly used in contrast with 関西弁(かんさいべん) (Kansai dialect). The perceived difference between Kanto and Kansai speech is a frequent topic in Japanese popular culture. Kansai speakers sometimes use 関東弁(かんとうべん) to distinguish standard-sounding speech from their own dialect.

Related words

• 関西弁(かんさいべん): Kansai dialect — the major dialectal counterpart
• 標準語(ひょうじゅんご): standard Japanese — the official standardized form
• 東京弁(とうきょうべん): Tokyo dialect — specifically the dialect of Tokyo
• 方言(ほうげん): dialect — the general term for regional speech varieties