Nuance & Usage
話す means "to speak" or "to talk" and is one of the most frequently used verbs. It takes the particle を for the content spoken (日本語を話す — speak Japanese) and に/と for the person spoken to (友達と話す — talk with a friend). Related words: 話 (hanashi — story, talk), 会話 (kaiwa — conversation), 話し合う (hanashiau — to discuss). The honorific form is おっしゃる (ossharu), and the humble form is 申す (mousu).
Common Mistakes
Learners confuse 話す (hanasu — to speak/tell), 言う (iu — to say), and しゃべる (shaberu — to chat/chatter). 話す emphasizes the act of communicating; 言う focuses on the specific words said; しゃべる is more casual and implies chatting. Also: 日本語を話す (speak Japanese — を marks the language), not 日本語で話す (speak in Japanese — で marks the means), which has a different nuance.
Example Sentences (3)
日本語を少し話せます。
にほんごをすこしはなせます。
I can speak a little Japanese.
先生と話したいことがあります。
せんせいとはなしたいことがあります。
There's something I want to talk about with the teacher.
もう少しゆっくり話してください。
もうすこしゆっくりはなしてください。
Please speak a little more slowly.
Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz
N54 questionsTest your knowledge of 話す with 4 different question types.
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