話す
hanasu[ha̠na̠sɨ]
To speak in Japanese is 話す (hanasu).
The verb is used to describe the act of speaking or talking to someone. When stating that you speak a specific language, you typically follow the language name with 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?
The verb 話す means to speak or talk to someone, which is distinct from 言う (iu), a verb used when you want to say a specific word or phrase. Additionally, while 話す describes the act of speaking, the potential form 話せる is used specifically to express the ability to speak a language.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
話す is the plain form of the verb. For standard formal situations, you should use 話します. To increase the formality level even further in formal social contexts, you can use the humble or more polite form お話しします.
How do you pronounce it?
hanasu
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the verb 話す (hanasu) can also mean 'to release' or 'to let go', such as releasing a bird from a cage or letting go of a grip.
- In Japanese, if you say 日本語が話せます (I can speak Japanese), you are stating a fact about your ability. However, adding 少し (a little) is often a cultural modesty marker, even for those who are quite fluent.
- Japanese has a specific term 話し言葉 (hanashi-kotoba) for 'spoken language' and 書き言葉 (kaki-kotoba) for 'written language'. The grammar used in the two is often so different that a sentence spoken aloud might look strange if written down.
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 about the ability to speak a language using 話す.Tatoeba #10049592 by small_snow, translation #10049574 by Silja
- 私は日本語で話します。I speak in Japanese.
- お客様とお話します。I will speak with the customer.
- 日本語を話すよ。I speak Japanese.
- 英語が話せるよ。I can speak English.
- 187 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are talking about their language skills.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵さんは英語を話すことができますか？Himari-san wa eigo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu ka?Himari, can you speak English?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、少しだけ話せます。Hai, sukoshi dake hanasemasu.Yes, I can speak a little.
- 健太 Kentaすごいね！僕は英語を話すのが苦手です。Sugoi ne! Boku wa eigo o hanasu no ga nigate desu.That's amazing! I'm not good at speaking English.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫ですよ。一緒に練習しましょう。Daijobu desu yo. Issho ni renshu shimashou.It's okay. Let's practice together.
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.
