🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)

けーいん【帰いん】 : keein | define meaning

keein

Pronunciation: [keːiŋ̍]

Definition

Verb

To return; to go back; to come back
1. やーんかいけーいん【家んかい帰いん】
  yaa nkai keein
  "to return home"
2. うちなーんかいけーいん【沖縄んかい帰いん】
  uchinaa nkai keein
  "to go back to Okinawa"

Etymology

Cognate with standard Japanese かえる【帰る・還る・歸る】 kaeru "to return".

Spelling

Orthography	Form
Kanji	帰いん
Kana	けーいん
Romanization	keein
Pronunciation (IPA)	[keːiŋ̍]

Verb Paradigm

Central Okinawan ru-type verb: **keeyun** ~ **keein**
		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative Perfective
Indicative	PRED	keeyun, keein	keetan	keeran	keerantan
	ATT	keeyuru, keeiru	keetaru
Progressive	PRED	keetoon	keetootan	keeteewuran	keeteewurantan
	ATT	keetooru	keetootaru
Causative	PRED	keerasun	keerachan	keerasan	keerasantan
	ATT	keerasuru	keeracharu
Passive and Potential	PRED	keerariyun, keerariin	keeraritan, keerattan	keerariran, keeraran	keerarirantan, keeraratan
	ATT	keerariyuru, keerariiru	keeraritaru, keerattaru
Causative-Passive	PRED	keerasariyun, keerasariin	keerasaritan	keerasariran	keerasarirantan
	ATT	keerasariyuru, keerasariiru	keerasariraru
Intransitivizing resultative (For transitive verbs only)	PRED	keeteen	keeteetan	keeteeneen	keeteeneentan
	ATT	keeteeru	keeteetaru
Preparatory	PRED	keetoochun	keetoochan	keeteeukan	keeteeukantan
	ATT	keetoochuru	keetoocharu

Base forms
Form	Construction
Root	keer-
Dictionary	keeyun, keein
Attributive or Adnominal	keeyuru, keeiru
Apocopated (indicative imperfective)	keeyu-, keei-
Adverbial	keei
Volitional-Presumptive	keera
Conjunctive	keeti
Representative	keetai
Imperative	keeri, keeree
Conditional	keeree

Common attributive (adnominal) constructions
Form	Construction
Conjecture	keeyuru haji, keeiru haji
So as to...	keeyuru gutu, keeiru gutu
Before...	keeyuru mee, keeiru mee
While...	keeyuru qweeda, keeyuru-qweema, keeiru qweeda, keeiru-qweema
Purpose	keeyuru tami ni, keeiru tami ni

Common conjunctive constructions
Form	Construction
Request	keeti-kwimisooree
Benefactive	keeti-kwiin
Completive	keeti-neen
Concessive conditional	keeti-n
After...	keeti-kara
After...	keeti-atu

Common adverbial constructions (adjectival compounds)
Form		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative perfective
Desiderative	PRED	keei-busan	keei-busantan	keei-bushikoo neen, keei-bushikoo neeran	keei-bushikoo neentan, keei-bushikoo neerantan
Desiderative	ATT	keei-busaru	keei-busataru	keei-bushikoo neen, keei-bushikoo neeran	keei-bushikoo neentan, keei-bushikoo neerantan
Easy to...	PRED	keei-yassan	keei-yassantan	keei-yashikoo neen, keei-yashikoo neeran	keei-yashikoo neentan, keei-yashikoo neerantan
Easy to...	ATT	keei-yassaru	keei-yassataru	keei-yashikoo neen, keei-yashikoo neeran	keei-yashikoo neentan, keei-yashikoo neerantan
Hard to...	PRED	keei-gurisan	keei-gurisantan	keei-gurikoo neen, keei-gurikoo neeran	keei-gurikoo neentan, keei-gurikoo neerantan
Hard to...	ATT	keei-gurisaru	keei-gurisataru	keei-gurikoo neen, keei-gurikoo neeran	keei-gurikoo neentan, keei-gurikoo neerantan

Common adverbial constructions (verbal compounds)
Form		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative perfective
Exalting	PRED	keei-misheen, kee-misheen	keei-misheentan, kee-misheentan	keei-misooran, kee-misooran	keei-misoorantan, kee-misoorantan
Exalting	ATT	keei-misheeru, kee-misheeru	keei-misheetaru, kee-misheetaru, keei-misoocharu, kee-misoocharu	keei-misooran, kee-misooran	keei-misoorantan, kee-misoorantan

Common adverbial constructions (nominal compounds)
Form	Construction
While (simultaneously)...	keei-gachii

Common apocopated constructions
Form	Construction
Reported past	keeyu-tan, keei-tan
Nominalizing	keeyu-shi, keei-shi
Concessive	keeyu-shiga, keei-shiga
Cause-effect	keeyu-kutu, keei-kutu
Prohibitive	keeyu-na, keei-na
Provisional conditional	keeyu-ra keei-ra
Questions	keeyu-ga, keei-ga

Other constructions
Form		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative perfective
Polite	PRED	keeyabiyun, keeyabiin, keeibiyun, keeibiin	keeyabitan, keeibitan	keeyabiran, keeibiran	keeyabirantan, keeibirantan
Polite	ATT	keeyabiyuru, keeyabiiru, keeibiyuru, keeibiiru	keeyabitaru, keeibitaru	keeyabiran, keeibiran	keeyabirantan, keeibirantan
Polar questions	PRED	keeyumi, keeimi	keetii	keerani	keerantii

Verb paradigms are based off several sources including, but not limited to:

Funatsu, Yoshiaki. (1988). 美しい沖縄の方言①. [Utsukushii Okinawa no kotoba 1]. ISBN4-905784-19-0.
Sakihara, Mitsugu. (2006). Okinawan-English Wordbook. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. ISBN: 0824831020.
Shizato, Rumiko and Iwasaki, Shoichi. (2024). Basic Okinawan: From Conversation to Grammar. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu. ISBN: 9780824893651.

意味：かえる【帰る・還る・歸る】、もどる【戻る】

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帰いん

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...

Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2025, August 21). けーいん【帰いん】 : keein | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2025, December 5, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/5957/keein/.