話す

• Reading: はなす
• Romaji: hanasu
• Kanji breakdown: 話 (wa/hana) — to talk, speech, story
• Pronunciation: /ha.na.sɯ/

Meaning

To talk; to speak; to converse; to chat. The primary verb for verbal communication.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb with an s-stem. The te-form is 話して. Used for both speaking a language (日本語を話す) and talking to someone (友達と話す). Different from 言う (iu), which focuses on the content of what is said, while 話す emphasises the act of communicating.

Examples

1. 日本語を少し話せます。 I can speak a little Japanese.
2. 友達と電話で話しました。 I talked with my friend on the phone.
3. もっとゆっくり話してください。 Please speak more slowly.

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, languages, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 話 combines 言 (words) and 舌 (tongue), directly representing speech produced by the tongue forming words.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal