Do you have some Japanese friends? If you do, I believe that today's topic is useful when you talk with them !! Hi!! I'm Satomi in Ohanasi Japanese Language School.Today, I'll teach you about what Japanese people feel is important in the conversation. Do you listen attentively to what your friends saying? I wonder if you listen attentively when you talk with your friends. You might think, “Of course, I always listen attentively.” Do you know that there are 2 kinds of words for “listen” in Japanese? They are “聞く” and “聴く”. I think you can communicate better with Japanese people if you understand the difference in their meanings. 【聞】and【聴】 First, there are 【門】and【耳】in the Kanji of 【聞】. On the other hand, there are 【耳】,【目】,and【心】in 【聴】,  right? The difference between 【聞】and 【聴】is whether if there are 【目】【心】.(【目】means “eyes”.【心】means “heart”) In other words, 【聴く】means “listening with your eyes and heart”. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Do you know the word 【傾聴（けいちょう）】? For Japanese people it is very important. What does “listening with your eyes and heart” mean? People say, it’s important to listen attentively to others when you talk with others.(It means 【傾聴】). What’s 【傾聴】? The Kanji 【傾】in 【傾聴】is called 「かたむける」.「かたむける」means “to focus on certain things” too. That’s why, 【傾聴】means “listening to what the other person is  saying mindfully”. The purpose of 【傾聴】is to understand the other person well while focusing on what he/she wants to say . You can make better relationships not only in special situations, but in daily situations, if you can do 【傾聴】. For this reason, many Japanese people are learning 【傾聴】. I'll teach you 5 points of 【傾聴】 that you can use easily from today in the next blog＾＾ このブログを日本語でよむ

I think... many Japanese learners cannot use this grammar correctly . How about you? Hi!! I'm Satomi in Ohanasi Japanese Language School.Let's practice this grammar together★ QUIZ１：Are these sentences correct, or in correct? 1.私の彼、おもしろいだし、親切し、、、もう最高なの！　WATASHINO KARE, OMOSHIROIDASHI,SHINSETSUDASHI,MOU SAIKOU NANO!!　My boyfriend is so fun , kind and wonderful !! 2.A「ねぇね。マック行こうよ！安いし早いしおいしいし！」　　"NE-NE. MAKKU IKOUYO!! YASUISHI HAYAISHI OISHIISHI !!"　　Hey, let's go to McDonald's !! It's reasonable, fast, and delicious !!　B「えぇ～？今日もまた行くの？昨日も行ったじゃん…」　　"EE-, KYO-MO MATA IKUNO? KINOUMO ITTAJAN..."　　Seriously? We go there today too? We went there yesterday... 3.母「あなた！昨日、コンビニで万引きしたっていう話、本当！？」　"ANATA !! KINOU, KONBINIDE MANBIKISHITA TTEIUHANASHI, HONTOU!?" 　I heard that you stole something in a convenience store, right?"　息子「は？オレは何もしてないだし、知らないだし、関係ないだよ！」　"HA? OREHA NANIMO SHITENAIDASHI, SHIRANAIDASHI,KANKEINAIDAYO!"Are you kidding me? I didn't do anything, know anything, and have nothing to do it. QUIZ１：Answer 1. ✕ 　2.〇3. ✕ 1.私の彼、おもしろいし、親切だし、、、もう最高なの！ 2.A「ねぇね。マック行こうよ！安いし早いしおいしいし！」　B「えぇ～今日もまた行くの？昨日も行ったじゃん…」 3.母「あなた！昨日、コンビニで万引きしたっていう話、本当！？」　息子「は？オレは何もしてないし、知らないし、関係ないよ！」 Did you know everything?Let's practice the grammar from now on !! How to use this grammar? ★POINT★名詞（Noun）& な形容詞（なadjective）⇒～だし ★POINT★There are some conjugation in verb.*It's better to match the form in one sentence.ex　✕知っていますし、分かるし…　　〇知っていますし、分かっていますし… QUIZ２：Practice 1.このスカートは色が（　　）、好きなデザインだし…買います！aあるし　bあかるいだし　cきれいし　dきれいだし 2.A「どうしてこの会社に入ったんですか。」　B「残業も（　　）、ボーナスも多いですし、それに実家から近いですから。」aなかったし　bないですし　cあるだし　dありますし※"～し～し、それに…" is often used when it comes to describing a reason. 3.私の祖父は、タバコをたくさん（　　）、お酒をたくさん（　　）、健康が心配だ。a吸うし/飲むし　b吸いますし/飲むし　c吸わないし/飲まないし　d吸ったし/飲んでいるし QUIZ２：Answer 1.このスカートは色が（　dきれいだし　）、好きなデザインだし…買います！ 2.A「どうしてこの会社に入ったんですか。」　B「残業も（　bないですし　）、ボーナスも多いですし、それに実家から近いですから。」 3.私の祖父は、タバコをたくさん（　a吸うし　）、お酒をたくさん（　a飲むし　）、健康が心配だ。 You did it !!I hope you can use this grammar in daily conversation next＾＾ このブログを日本語でよむ

Want to ask someone if they speak Japanese — in Japanese? Whether you're traveling to Japan, meeting Japanese friends online, or just starting your Japanese learning journey, knowing how to ask "Do you speak Japanese?" is one of the most useful phrases you can learn. In this guide, you'll learn: How to say "Do you speak Japanese?" in Japanese How to say "Can you speak Japanese?" — and the key difference The grammar behind は (wa) vs が (ga) How to practice these phrases with real native Japanese speakers Let's get started! How to Say "Do You Speak Japanese?" in Japanese The Japanese phrase for "Do you speak Japanese?" is: あなたは日本語を話しますか？ (Anata wa nihongo wo hanashimasu ka?) Here's how to break it down: JapaneseRomajiMeaningあなたanatayouはwatopic marker particle日本語nihongoJapanese languageをwoobject marker particle話しますhanashimasuspeak (polite form)かkaquestion marker 💡 Key point: Japanese questions end with か (ka) — it's like a question mark you say out loud! How to pronounce it: a-NA-ta wa ni-HON-go wo ha-NA-shi-ma-su ka? How to Say "Can You Speak Japanese?" in Japanese There's just one small but important difference between "do you speak" and "can you speak" in Japanese: PhraseJapaneseRomajiDo you speak Japanese?あなたは日本語を話しますか？hanashimasu ka?Can you speak Japanese?あなたは日本語を話せますか？hanasemasu ka? The key is in the verb ending: 話します (hanashimasu) = "do speak" → uses the i sound 話せます (hanasemasu) = "can speak" → uses the e sound Just one vowel change — but it completely changes the meaning! This is one of the fascinating things about Japanese grammar. は (wa) vs が (ga) — What's the Difference? This is one of the most common grammar questions for Japanese beginners. Why do we use は (wa) instead of が (ga)? Both は and が are particles — small words that show the role of a noun in a sentence. But they emphasize different things: は (wa) — Topic marker Emphasizes what comes after it Used for general statements and questions 「あなたは日本語を話しますか？」 = "Do you speak Japanese?" (asking about the action — speaking) が (ga) — Subject marker Emphasizes what comes before it Points to a specific person or thing 「あなたが日本語を話しますか？」 = "Are you the one who speaks Japanese?" (asking specifically about you) Simple rule for beginners: When asking "Do you speak Japanese?" in everyday conversation, use は (wa). It's more natural and common in this context. More Useful Phrases Once you know how to ask "Do you speak Japanese?", here are some related phrases that are very useful: EnglishJapaneseRomajiDo you speak English?あなたは英語を話しますか？Anata wa eigo wo hanashimasu ka?I speak a little Japanese.少し日本語を話します。Sukoshi nihongo wo hanashimasu.I don't speak Japanese.日本語を話しません。Nihongo wo hanashimasen.Please speak slowly.ゆっくり話してください。Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.I'm studying Japanese.日本語を勉強しています。Nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu. Why Grammar Alone Isn't Enough Understanding the grammar is a great first step. But real Japanese communication is messy, natural, and full of shortcuts that no textbook fully captures. For example, in real conversation, Japanese people often drop あなた (anata) entirely and just say: 「日本語、話せる？」(Nihongo, hanaseru?) — "Can you speak Japanese?" (very casual) The best way to get comfortable with phrases like these is to practice with real native Japanese speakers — in a relaxed, pressure-free environment where mistakes are totally okay. Practice Speaking Japanese with Native Speakers — For Free! At Ohanasi Kagawa, we connect Japanese learners from around the world with native Japanese speakers for free language exchange events every weekend. Here's how it works: Join a free online event Get paired 1-on-1 with a native Japanese speaker 15 minutes in Japanese, 15 minutes in English Safe, welcoming, and beginner-friendly Thousands of learners from 55+ countries have already joined. Whether you're a complete beginner or intermediate level, there's a place for you! 👉Join Ohanasi Kagawa for free and practice your Japanese today! Summary "Do you speak Japanese?" = あなたは日本語を話しますか？ (Anata wa nihongo wo hanashimasu ka?) "Can you speak Japanese?" = あなたは日本語を話せますか？ (Anata wa nihongo wo hanasemasu ka?) Use は (wa) for general questions, が (ga) to emphasize a specific person Japanese questions end with か (ka) Now you know how to ask "Do you speak Japanese?" in Japanese — go try it out with a real native speaker! 👉 Join Ohanasi Kagawa for free → Want to practice more Japanese grammar and phrases with native speakers? Join Ohanasi Kagawa for free →