Tokyo Dialect - Grammar

Grammar

Most of grammatical features of Tokyo dialect are treated as the colloquial form of standard Japanese like examples mentioned in "Colloquial contractions" in the article "Japanese grammar". Noticeable earmarks of the Tokyo dialect include the frequent use of interjectory particle sa, which is roughly analogous to "like" as used in American English slang; tsū (common style) and tee (Shitamachi style) in place of to iu ("to say" or "is called"); the frequent use of emphasis sentence-final particle dai or dee in Shitamachi, which is famous for a typical Shitamachi verbal shot teyandee! (< itte iyagaru n dai!, "What are you talking about!?").

Historically, Kanto dialects were lacking keigo (honorific speech). However, because of connection with Kyoto and urbanize with stratified society, the Tokyo dialect has refined keigo system. The Yamanote dialect is primarily known for an extreme use of keigo and characterized by a keigo copula zamasu or zāmasu, sometimes zansu, transformations of gozaimasu. The feminine courtesy imperative mood asobase or asubase is also well-known keigo of traditional Tokyo dialect. For example, "Won't you please wait for me?" equivalents for o-machi kudasai in standard Japanese, and o-machi asobase in traditional Tokyo dialect.