Questions and Phrases for Conversation in Japanese

Want to have a productive conversation but don’t know how to handle certain situations? In this article, we will share a list of phrases for conversation in Japanese, aimed at assisting and improving your dialogue.

We recommend having a basic understanding of affirmative phrases, questions, negations, and phrases that involve objects, actions, and numbers. The focus here is to highlight phrases that can help in your conversation and not to teach you basic phrases of the Japanese language.

Some phrases will have the expression BLA written. This indicates that you can replace BLA with a word or expression you wish to use in that situation. You can do this with the other phrases as well, just pay attention.

Explaining your limitations in conversation in Japanese

The phrases below can help you explain that your Japanese is not that good and requires collaboration:

私は日本語を上手に話しません
Watashi wa nihongo wo jouzu ni hanashimasen

I don’t speak Japanese very well

少しゆっくり話していただけますか
Sukoshi yukkuri hanashite itadakemasu ka

Could you speak more slowly?

もお一度言っていただけますか
Moo ichido itte itadakemasuka

Could you repeat?

BLAはどう言う意味ですか
BLA wa dooiu imi desu ka

What does BLA mean?

私が間違えたら、直して下さい
Watashi ga machigaetara, naoshite kudasai

If I make a mistake, please correct me

ここに書いていただけますか
Koko ni kaite itadakemasu ka

Could you write this for me?

Extending conversations in Japanese

BLAできると思いますか
BLA dekiru to omoi masuka

Do you think it’s possible to BLA?

お話し合いできて嬉しかったです
ohanashi aidekite ureshikatta desu

I enjoyed our conversation

また別の時にお会いしてお話しできますか
Mata betsu no toki no aishite ohanashi dekimasuka

Can we talk again another day?

何か他の言い方はある？
nani ka ta no iikata wa aru? 

Is there anything else to say?

Basic phrases for conversation in Japanese

私の名前はケビンです
Watashi no namae wa kebin desu

My name is Kevin

どうも・ありがとうございました。
Doumo arigatou gozaimashita

Thank you very much.

何を話しているの？
nani wo hanashiteiru no? 

What are you talking about?

明日会いましょうか？
ashita aimashou ka? 

Shall we meet tomorrow?

私は好奇心が強いです。
watashi wa koukishin ga tsuyoi desu. 

I am very curious.

Questions to develop conversation in Japanese

どんな音楽を聞きますか
Don'na ongaku o kikimasu ka

What kind of music do you listen to?

どこから来ましたか？
doko kara kimashita ka? 

Where are you from?

イタリア語を話せますか？
Itariago wo hanasemasu ka? 

Do you speak Italian?

他にどんな選択肢があるの？
ta ni donna sentakushi ga aru no? 

What other options do you have?

名前は何ですか。
(o)namae wa nan desu ka?

What is your name?

あの人は誰ですか。
ano hito wa dare desu ka?

Who is that person?

どこに住んでいますか。
doko ni sundeimasuka?

Where do you live?

仕事は何ですか。
shigoto wa nan desu ka?

What do you do for a living?

どうですか。
dou desu ka?

How is it?

お腹が空いていますか。
Onaka ga aite imasu ka?

Are you hungry?

これは何ですか
kore wa nan desu ka?

What is this?

どうしたんですか。
Doushitan desu ka?

What is the problem?

写真を撮ってもらえませんか？
Shashin wo totte moraemasen ka?

Could you take a picture?

どう思われますか
Doo omowaremasu ka

What do you think?

BLAできると思いますか
BLA dekiru to omoi masuka

Do you think it’s possible to BLA?

そのことをどう思われますか
Sono koto wo dou omowaremasuka

What do you think about that?

 このことを起きず気になったことはありますか
Kono koto wo okizuki ni nattakoto wa arimasuka

Did you notice this?

同意されますか
dooi saremasuka

Do you agree?

大切な事だと思われますか
taisetsu na koto dato omowaremasuka

Do you think this is important?

Other basic phrases and words in Japanese

Of course, these phrases will not be enough for you to develop a conversation. We recommend continuing to browse the articles on our site and learn the basics of Japanese.

The articles below will help you improve your vocabulary in the language, so you can formulate more phrases:

• List of Japanese words for tourists
• List with 1000 categorized words
• List of Japanese verbs