How do you say "speak" in Japanese?

話す

hanasu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "speak" is 話す (hanasu).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Hanasu has three even syllables, ha-na-su, with the middle na said clearly and no part of the word rushed.

Writing and usage

話す is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

彼女は3か国語を話せます。

kanojo ha 3 ka kokugo wo hanase masu.

She can speak three languages.

Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 話す

Hanasu contains 'hana', meaning flower or nose depending on context, but here just picture words blooming out as you speak.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 話す

How do you pronounce 話す?

Hanasu has three even syllables, ha-na-su, with the middle na said clearly and no part of the word rushed.

Is 話す formal or casual?

話す is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 話す written in Japanese?

話す is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as hanasu.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Speak" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town