LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N5Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Speak in Japanese: 話はなす (はなす), and why you say 日本語にほんごが話はなせます

"Speak" in Japanese is 話はなす (はなす), a regular う-verb: 話はなします, 話はなした, 話はなして — and to say "I can speak Japanese" you switch to the potential form 話はなせる and say 日本語にほんごが話はなせます.

People search "speak in Japanese" for two different reasons. Some want the verb itself. Others want the sentence they will actually say out loud: "Do you speak Japanese?" or "I speak a little Japanese." Both are covered here, plus the particle shift that confuses almost everyone (が or を?), and how 話はなす differs from 言いう and しゃべる.

The basics

How do you say "speak" in Japanese?

The verb is 話はなす (はなす). It means to speak, to talk, or to have a conversation. It conjugates like any verb that ends in す: the ます-form is 話はなします, the past is 話はなした, and the te-form is 話はなして.

日本語にほんごを話はなします。 — I speak Japanese. (polite, a plain statement of fact) 友ともだちと話はなしました。 — I talked with a friend. (polite, past tense) ゆっくり話はなしてください。 — Please speak slowly. (polite request, te-form + ください)

Notice that 話はなす is not only "speak a language." It is also the everyday verb for "talk with someone." With a person, you mark them with と (with) or に (to).

How do you say "I can speak Japanese"?

Use the potential form of 話はなす, which is 話はなせる, and mark the language with が: 日本語にほんごが話はなせます.

日本語にほんごが話はなせます。 — I can speak Japanese. (polite, natural and common) 少すこし話はなせます。 — I can speak a little. (polite, the standard modest answer) 日本語にほんごは話はなせません。 — I can't speak Japanese. (polite, は adds contrast: "Japanese, no, but...")

Here the verb changes from 話はなす to 話はなせる. The word 話はなせる is a new verb of its own, and it is always conjugated like a ru-verb: 話はなせます, 話はなせない, 話はなせた.

Why is it が with 話はなせる but を with 話はなす?

Potential verbs describe an ability or a state, not an action, so the thing you are able to do is usually marked with が instead of を. This is the key contrast of the whole topic.

日本語にほんごを話はなす。 — I speak Japanese. (plain action, を marks the object) 日本語にほんごが話はなせる。 — I can speak Japanese. (ability, が marks what you can do) 日本語にほんごを話はなすことができる。 — I am able to speak Japanese. (formal-sounding, the verb stays 話はなす so the particle stays を)

The third line is the trap. 話はなすことができる keeps the original verb 話はなす, so the object keeps を. If you use 話はなせる, the object takes が. Mixing them (日本語にほんごが話はなすことができる) sounds wrong.

In modern spoken Japanese, you will also hear 日本語にほんごを話はなせます with を. Native speakers say it often, and it is not a disaster. But が is the form textbooks and teachers expect, so start there.

How do you ask "Do you speak Japanese?"

Add か to the potential form: 日本語にほんごを話はなせますか? or, more standard, 日本語にほんごが話はなせますか?

日本語にほんごが話はなせますか。 — Can you speak Japanese? (polite, the classic question) 日本語にほんごを話はなせますか。 — Can you speak Japanese? (polite, very common in real speech) 日本語にほんご、話はなせる? — You speak Japanese? (casual, drops the particle, rising tone) 日本語にほんごを話はなしますか。 — Do you speak Japanese? (polite, but asks about habit, not ability)

The last one is a subtle difference. 話はなしますか asks whether you use Japanese. 話はなせますか asks whether you are able to. To check someone's ability, use 話はなせますか.

How do you say "a little" or "not very well"?

Add 少すこし (a little), ちょっと (casual "a bit"), or あまり with a negative (not very much).

少すこし話はなせます。 — I can speak a little. (polite, safe and standard) ちょっとだけ話はなせます。 — I can speak just a little bit. (polite-casual, friendly and modest) あまり話はなせません。 — I can't speak much. (polite, honest and polite)

If someone says 日本語にほんごが上手じょうずですね and you want to be modest, the traditional answer is いえいえ、まだまだです — "no no, I still have a long way to go." It is a habit of modesty, not a real correction.

Beyond the basics

What is the difference between 話はなす, 言いう, and しゃべる?

話はなす is to speak or to talk, a conversation or a language. 言いう is to say a specific word or sentence. しゃべる is a casual word for chatting or talking a lot.

先生せんせいは日本語にほんごで話はなした。 — The teacher spoke in Japanese. (polite-neutral, 話はなす focuses on the act of talking) 先生せんせいは「静しずかに」と言いった。 — The teacher said, "Quiet." (neutral, 言いう focuses on the exact words) ずっとしゃべってたね。 — You were chatting the whole time, huh. (casual, しゃべる suggests relaxed or non-stop talking)

A quick test: if you could put a quotation in front of the verb, use 言いう. If you mean the activity of talking or the ability to speak, use 話はなす. If the situation is casual or the person is a chatterbox, しゃべる fits.

Is 話はなし the same word as 話はなす?

They share the same kanji. 話はなし (はなし) is a noun: a story, a talk, a topic. It is the noun form of the verb, and it appears in a lot of useful phrases.

ちょっと話はなしがある。 — I have something to talk about. (casual, often a serious tone) いい話はなしですね。 — That's a nice story, isn't it. (polite, 話はなし as "story") その話はなしはやめよう。 — Let's drop that topic. (casual, 話はなし as "subject of conversation")

話はなしがある is a very natural way to start a serious conversation, and it is a staple of anime scenes where a character pulls someone aside. Related is 会話かいわ (かいわ), conversation, which is the word you will see in lesson titles like 日本語にほんご会話かいわ.

How does 話はなす sound in anime?

Anime uses the casual, short forms: 話はなせ (an order), 話はなそう (let's talk), and 話はなさない (won't talk).

話はなしを聞きいてくれ。 — Please listen to me. (casual, male-coded, an urgent plea) 話はなせば分わかる。 — If we talk, you'll understand. (casual, a classic "let's settle this by talking" line) 何なにも話はなさないつもりか。 — You're planning to say nothing? (blunt, casual)

Just like 話はなす, the casual 話はなせ can be two things: the potential stem of 話はなせる (can speak) or the command form of 話はなす (speak!). Context and tone tell you which one you are hearing.

How is the spoken form different from writing?

In writing, 話はなす and 話はなせる look identical to speech, but spoken Japanese often shortens things in ways books don't. 話はなしている becomes 話はなしてる, and 話はなしてしまった becomes 話はなしちゃった. To understand why spoken Japanese bends the rules, see written vs spoken Japanese.

昨日きのう、先生せんせいと話はなしてた。 — I was talking with the teacher yesterday. (casual, 話はなしている shortened to 話はなしてる) つい全部ぜんぶ話はなしちゃった。 — I ended up telling everything. (casual, ちゃった expresses regret or accident)

If you are asking someone to repeat or slow down

When you can only follow part of what you hear, 話はなす is one of the most useful verbs. Pair it with ゆっくり or もう少すこし. For the whole set of phrases, see how to ask someone to repeat in Japanese.

もう少すこしゆっくり話はなしてもらえますか。 — Could you speak a bit more slowly? (polite, asking a favor with もらえますか)

If you want to ask permission to talk, the pattern from te mo ii desu ka works with 話はなす too: 話はなしてもいいですか, "may I talk?" The skill you need with 話はなす is the same as for 読よむ: choose the right particle for the sense. See read in Japanese for the matching idea with 読よめる.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 日本語にほんごが話はなすことができます. The verb 話はなす keeps を, so you need either 日本語にほんごを話はなすことができます or the shorter 日本語にほんごが話はなせます.
  • Using 話はなす for "say a word." For a specific word or quote, use 言いう: 「ありがとう」と言いう, not 「ありがとう」と話はなす.
  • Forgetting that 話はなせる is a new verb. 話はなせます, 話はなせない, 話はなせた all follow the ru-verb pattern. You do not conjugate 話はなす into 話はなすます.
  • Using 話はなしますか to check ability. 日本語にほんごを話はなしますか asks about habit. For "can you speak it?" use 話はなせますか.
  • Answering 日本語にほんごが上手じょうずですね with はい、上手じょうずです. It sounds arrogant. Answer with いえ、まだまだです or 少すこしだけです.

Which verb should you pick?

Verb Meaning Feel Example
話はなす speak, talk neutral, the default 日本語にほんごを話はなします
話はなせる can speak neutral, ability 日本語にほんごが話はなせます
言いう say neutral, specific words 「はい」と言いった
しゃべる chat, talk a lot casual ずっとしゃべってた
会話かいわする have a conversation formal-ish 日本語にほんごで会話かいわする

FAQ

Is 日本語にほんごを話はなせます wrong? No. 日本語にほんごが話はなせます is the textbook form, but 日本語にほんごを話はなせます is very common in real speech and fully understood. For tests and formal writing, use が.

What is the difference between 話はなす and 話はなせる? 話はなす is "to speak" (an action). 話はなせる is "to be able to speak" (an ability). The first marks the language with を; the second normally uses が.

How do I say "I speak Japanese" modestly? 少すこし話はなせます (I can speak a little) is the safe, modest answer. Adding ちょっとだけ makes it sound softer and friendlier.

Is しゃべる rude? Not rude, but casual. It suggests relaxed or non-stop talking, so use 話はなす with teachers, customers, and people you do not know well.

Are 話はなす and 言いう ever interchangeable? Sometimes in casual speech, but the focus differs. 言いう points to the words themselves, and 話はなす points to the act of talking or a topic.

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair, and so are 5 and 6: the particle changes with the verb.

1. How do you say "I speak Japanese" as a plain statement of fact?

Show answer

日本語にほんごを話はなします — 話はなす is an action verb here, so the language takes を.

2. What is the potential form of 話はなす?

Show answer

話はなせる — the polite form is 話はなせます, and it conjugates like a ru-verb.

3. Say "I can speak Japanese" using 話はなせる. Which particle marks 日本語にほんご?

Show answer

日本語にほんごが話はなせます — a potential verb describes ability, so が marks what you can do. This is the pair to question 4.

4. Say "I am able to speak Japanese" using 話はなすことができる. Which particle marks 日本語にほんご?

Show answer

日本語にほんごを話はなすことができます — the verb is still 話はなす, so the particle stays を. 日本語にほんごが話はなすことができます is the common error.

5. Complete the sentence: 英語えいご( )話はなせますか。 Choose が or を in the textbook version.

Show answer

が — with 話はなせますか the textbook particle is が, although を is common in speech. This is the pair to question 6.

6. Complete the sentence: 英語えいご( )話はなしますか。 Choose が or を.

Show answer

を — 話はなしますか is the plain action verb, so it takes を. It also asks about habit, not ability.

7. Someone asks 日本語にほんごが話はなせますか and you know a little. How do you answer modestly?

Show answer

少すこし話はなせます — 少すこし means "a little" and keeps you from overclaiming. ちょっとだけ話はなせます is softer and more casual.

8. Which verb fits: the teacher said "Quiet" — 話はなした or 言いった?

Show answer

言いった — you are reporting specific words, so 言いう fits. 話はなす is for the act of talking or a topic.

9. You want to say "I have something to talk about" in a serious tone. What do you say?

Show answer

話はなしがある — 話はなし as a noun means a talk or a story, and 話はなしがある is a natural way to start a serious conversation.

10. A friend says ずっとしゃべってたね. What does しゃべる add compared with 話はなす?

Show answer

A casual, "chatting on and on" feeling — しゃべる is relaxed and suggests non-stop talking. With teachers or strangers, 話はなす is safer.

During a trial lesson, say 日本語にほんごが話はなせます about yourself and describe the languages you speak, checking the が and the potential form 話はなせる.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

話す	はなす — to speak, to talk
話せる	はなせる — can speak (potential)
言う	いう — to say
しゃべる	しゃべる — to chat, to talk (casual)
話	はなし — talk, story, topic
会話	かいわ — conversation
日本語	にほんご — Japanese (language)
少し	すこし — a little
ゆっくり	ゆっくり — slowly
静かに	しずかに — quietly
先生	せんせい — teacher
友だち	ともだち — friend

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, which comes up in nearly every beginner's first few lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N5 · Read something at this level: JLPT N5 stories with audio

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