会話

• Reading: かいわ
• Romaji: kaiwa
• Kanji breakdown: 会 (kai/a) — meet, gather; 話 (wa/hanashi) — talk, story, conversation
• Pronunciation: /ka.i.wa/

Meaning

Conversation; dialogue. The act of talking with another person.

Functions as a noun and する verb. 会話する means 'to converse.' Extremely common in language learning contexts: 英会話 (eikaiwa, English conversation) and 日常会話 (nichijou kaiwa, daily conversation). Also used for conversation practice and dialogue exercises.

Examples

1. 毎日日本語で会話する練習をしています。 I practice having conversations in Japanese every day.
2. 英会話の授業は水曜日にあります。 The English conversation class is on Wednesdays.
3. もっと自然な会話ができるようになりたい。 I want to be able to have more natural conversations.

Usage Guide

Context: language learning, daily life, school

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 会 (kai, meet) and 話 (wa, talk/story). Literally 'meeting and talking,' perfectly describing the mutual exchange of a conversation.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal