話す

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 日本語が話せます。▶ —
   I can speak Japanese.
2. 友達と話しました。▶ —
   I talked with a friend.

Collocations

Mnemonic

はなす — 話す, Yamato. A godan -su verb. The kanji 話 is 言 (word) + 舌 (tongue) — a meaning-compound: 'speak with the tongue'. In the onyomi わ wa, it builds compounds — 会話 kaiwa (meeting + speech = conversation), 電話 denwa (telephone), 童話 douwa (children's tale). The Korean reading hwa is sister to the onyomi わ. Japanese splits 'speaking' into two verbs — 話す: to converse, to speak a language. 友達と話す (talk with a friend), 日本語を話す (speak Japanese). 言う iu: to say a specific utterance, to quote. ~と言う ('say that ~'). The split lines up almost exactly with the Korean 'iyagihada vs malhada'. The potential 話せる expands naturally from 'can say' to 'can use the language'.

Quick check

1. How do you naturally say "I speak Japanese well"?

   • 日本語が上手です (correct: skilled-at, jouzu)
   • 日本語が話します (ungrammatical mix)
   • 日本語を上手です (wrong particle)
   • 日本語が話す上手 (wrong)