don dake...

I've heard people say this before. It's a popular phrase right now from TV... I think that transvestite comedian made it... but I don't know what it means.

It's a OSAKA dialect that literally means "how much, how many, how far, how long, etc".

There was a similar question.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+41705

Hi

I had the same confussion, so I just asked the teachers and students and they taught me it. (the version I heard anyway - same from 3 seperate schools).

dondake - is said to express the surprise at a large amount or quantity of something (usually positive). For example, I had a Halloween lesson where I shared out a large bucket of sweeties, so you heard "dooondakeeee".

It's a nice phrase. The reply is "ikaihodo" with the same finger gesture.

Have fun (^_^)

About a year ago all junior high school kids were saying this like mad. The comedian who started the catchphrase is Ikko who is on TV sometimes talking about fashion. Mostly girls use it and they mean something is great or amazing, but like anything else you can use it sarcastically too.

I've always used it to mean "How much?" literally.

i.e. if my mother were cutting me a slice of cake, she'd say "don dake?" ("how much?") and when she'd moved the knife to the correct position, I'd reply with "son dake" ("that much") I figure it's pretty slang/osaka-ben etc. I've never heard it used in another context, but interested to hear more. :o)

also, I guess "son dake?" when used as a question, I understand to mean ("is that all?") i.e. when I only ask for a small slice of cake! *hehe*

It's now being used as a colloquialism which is akin to the American, "Oh no you didn't!". It is usually expressed with a feminine tone by men, jokingly.

dondake=dore dake=how much
sondake=sore dake=that much or only
kondake=kore dake=this much or only