“To speak” in Japanese is 話す (はなす), pronounced hanasu.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
To speak or talk. With a language: 日本語を話す. The noun is 話 (hanashi), a talk or story.
Example sentences
- 日本語を話せますか。にほんごをはなせますか。Can you speak Japanese?
- 友達と話しました。ともだちとはなしました。I talked with a friend.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 話す. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain) | 話す はなす | speak |
| Polite present | 話します はなします | speak |
| Polite negative | 話しません はなしません | don’t speak |
| Polite past | 話しました はなしました | past of “speak” |
| Plain negative (ない) | 話さない はなさない | don’t speak (casual) |
| Plain past (た) | 話した はなした | past of “speak” (casual) |
| て-form | 話して はなして | speak and… / please speak (+ください) |
| Want to (たい) | 話したい はなしたい | want to speak |
Quick practice
Test yourself0/3
What does {{話す}} mean?
How do you read {{話す}}?
Which word means “to wake up”?
Related words: Everyday verbs
FAQ
How do you say to speak in Japanese?
To speak in Japanese is 話す (はなす), pronounced “hanasu”.
How do you write to speak in Japanese?
It's written 話す with kanji, or はなす in hiragana. Both are read hanasu.
Is 話す on the JLPT?
Yes. 話す (hanasu) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.