🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa)

くふぁいん : kufain | define meaning

kufain

Pronunciation: [kuɸaiŋ̍]

Definition

Verb, Intransitive

To become hard; to harden; to solidify
To freeze; to become frozen
(Relationship) To be discordant; to have a fall out; to deteriorate
To awaken; to wake up
1. みーくふぁいん【目くふぁいん】
  mii kufain
  "To wake up"

Etymology

Cognate with Fukuoka and Kumamoto こわる kowaru; Kagoshima こっ koq "to be stiff"; and standard Japanese こる【凝る】 koru "to solidify; to freeze; to be stiff". Related to standard Japanese こわばる【強張る・強ばる】 kowabaru "to stiffen" and こおる【凍る・氷る・凍おる】 kooru "to freeze". See also くふぁさん【強さん】 kufasan "hard".

Spelling

Orthography	Form
Kana	くふぁいん
New Okinawa Moji	く慠いん
Romanization	kufain
Pronunciation (IPA)	[kuɸaiŋ̍]

Verb Paradigm

Central Okinawan ru-type verb: **kufayun** ~ **kufain**
		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative Perfective
Indicative	PRED	kufayun, kufain	kufatan	kufaran	kufarantan
	ATT	kufayuru, kufairu	kufataru
Progressive	PRED	kufatoon	kufatootan	kufateewuran	kufateewurantan
	ATT	kufatooru	kufatootaru
Causative	PRED	kufarasun	kufarachan	kufarasan	kufarasantan
	ATT	kufarasuru	kufaracharu
Passive and Potential	PRED	kufarariyun, kufarariin	kufararitan, kufarattan	kufarariran, kufararan	kufararirantan, kufararatan
	ATT	kufarariyuru, kufarariiru	kufararitaru, kufarattaru
Causative-Passive	PRED	kufarasariyun, kufarasariin	kufarasaritan	kufarasariran	kufarasarirantan
	ATT	kufarasariyuru, kufarasariiru	kufarasariraru
Intransitivizing resultative (For transitive verbs only)	PRED	kufateen	kufateetan	kufateeneen	kufateeneentan
	ATT	kufateeru	kufateetaru
Preparatory	PRED	kufatoochun	kufatoochan	kufateeukan	kufateeukantan
	ATT	kufatoochuru	kufatoocharu

Base forms
Form	Construction
Root	kufar-
Dictionary	kufayun, kufain
Attributive or Adnominal	kufayuru, kufairu
Apocopated (indicative imperfective)	kufayu-, kufai-
Adverbial	kufai
Volitional-Presumptive	kufara
Conjunctive	kufati
Representative	kufatai
Imperative	kufari, kufaree
Conditional	kufaree

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other constructions
Form		Imperfective	Perfective	Negative	Negative perfective
Polite	PRED	kufayabiyun, kufayabiin, kufaibiyun, kufaibiin	kufayabitan, kufaibitan	kufayabiran, kufaibiran	kufayabirantan, kufaibirantan
Polite	ATT	kufayabiyuru, kufayabiiru, kufaibiyuru, kufaibiiru	kufayabitaru, kufaibitaru	kufayabiran, kufaibiran	kufayabirantan, kufaibirantan
Polar questions	PRED	kufayumi, kufaimi	kufatii	kufarani	kufarantii

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：かたくなる【固くなる・堅くなる】、こごえる【凍える】、なかがわるくなる【仲が悪くなる】、めがさめる【目が覚める】

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くふぁいん

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. (2026, July 19). くふぁいん : kufain | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, August 23, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/9065/kufain/.