話す
hanasu[ha̠na̠sɨ]
To speak in Japanese is to say 話す (hanasu).
The verb is used to indicate the ability to communicate in a language. When stating which language you speak, place the name of the language followed by the particle を before the verb, such as in 日本語を話す (to speak Japanese).
Meaning: to be able to communicate in a language (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 話す means to speak or to talk, it is distinct from the verb 言う, which means 'to say' a specific thing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The most straightforward and widely used way to say 'speak' in everyday conversations is 話す. For standard polite conversation, use the form 話します. If you wish to be even more polite, you can use お話しする. In professional or formal contexts, when referring specifically to making a statement or speaking out, use 発言する. For a colloquial version used among friends, use しゃべる.
How do you pronounce it?
hanasu
Did you know?
- The verb 話す is a homophone with another verb meaning 'to untie' or 'to separate', written with different kanji.
- Japanese culture often values 'reading the air' 空気を読む, meaning that what is not spoken is often more important than the words actually used with 話す.
- The polite form お話しする is actually 'humble language' (kenjougo), used to lower your own status to show respect to the listener.
Examples in context
- 君が話す番だよ。It's your turn to speak.This sentence shows how to use 話す to indicate whose turn it is to speak.Tatoeba #8733008 by small_snow, translation #4368256 by AlanF_US
- ゆっくり話すね。I'll speak slowly.This sentence demonstrates using 話す to describe the manner of speaking.Tatoeba #10112000 by small_snow, translation #10111996 by shekitten
- アイヌ語を話すの？Do you speak Ainu?This sentence shows how to ask if someone speaks a specific language using 話す.Tatoeba #10049592 by small_snow, translation #10049574 by Silja
- 彼とお話ししたいです。I want to speak with him.
- 会議で発言しました。I spoke at the meeting.
- 老人とおしゃべりするのが好きです。I enjoy speaking with elderly people.
- 彼と話したいんだけどな。I want to speak with him, you know.
- 友達と喋って楽しかった。I had fun speaking with my friends.
- ライブでアーティストとしゃべった！最高だった！I spoke with the artist at the live concert! It was amazing!
- 187 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are talking about their language skills.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵は英語を話すことができる？Himari wa eigo o hanasu koto ga dekiru?Himari, can you speak English?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、少しだけ話すことができます。Hai, sukoshi dake hanasu koto ga dekimasu.Yes, I can speak a little bit.
- 健太 Kentaすごいね！どこの国で勉強したの？Sugoi ne! Doko no kuni de benkyou shita no?That's amazing! Which country did you study in?
- 陽葵 Himariカナダに住んでいた時に勉強したよ。Kanada ni sunde ita toki ni benkyou shita yo.I studied when I was living in Canada.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speak” translations and entries 話す, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
