🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa, Yamatu)

はいさい : haisai | define meaning

haisai

Pronunciation: [haisai]

Definition

Male Interjection

A greeting or salutation used by men when meeting someone; hello; hi; hey; howdy
1. はいさいちゅーをぅがなびら
  haisai chuu wuganabira
  "Hello", "Good day"

Etymology

Likely related to the Kikai expression へーさやー【早さやー】 heesayaa "good morning" (literally "it's early").

Historical Ryukyuan attestations

Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo Island, in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Don't stir (said to a person rising to depart). Wfay'sa * This word is generally used by the master of the house when his guest announces his intended departure, by saying, Cung, Cung".

Notes

Equivalent expression used by women: はいたい haitai.

Spelling

Orthography	Form
Kana	はいさい
Romanization	haisai
Pronunciation (IPA)	[haisai]

意味：こんにちは

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Categories:

Greeting

はいさい

Tags: Okinawan Language, Uchinaaguchi, Ryukyuan Languages, 沖縄方言, 沖縄語, うちなーぐち, 沖縄口, 琉球方言, 琉球語...

Tags: Okinawan-Japanese dialect, Ryukyu-Japanese, Uchinaa-Yamatoguchi, Yamato-guchi, Yamatu, うちなーやまとぐち, 沖縄大和口, 新沖縄方言...

Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2025, December 25). はいさい : haisai | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, January 7, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/48/haisai/.