Japanese verb · u-verb · first needed at beginner level (A1)
話す
hanasu
to speak
A u-verb ending in す: the stem is (hanashi) and the te-form (hanashite). The person you talk with takes (to) or (ni).
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 話すhanasu | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 話しますhanashimasu | |
| plain negative | 話さないhanasanai | |
| polite negative | 話しませんhanashimasen |
Past
過去形
What happened, or what has happened. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ました is the default.
| plain | 話したhanashita | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 話しましたhanashimashita | |
| plain negative | 話さなかったhanasanakatta | |
| polite negative | 話しませんでしたhanashimasen deshita |
Te-form
て形
Joins actions (“and then”) and builds ～ています (doing now), ～てください (please do) and ～てもいいですか (may I).
| te-form | 話してhanashite | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 話していますhanashite imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 話してくださいhanashite kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 話してもいいですかhanashite mo ii desu ka |
Volitional
意向形
Let's: the plain form between friends, ～ましょう in polite speech. ～ましょうか suggests (shall we?) or offers help (shall I?).
| plain (let's) | 話そうhanasō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 話しましょうhanashimashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 話しましょうかhanashimashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can speak. The object usually takes (ga) instead of (o). (Nihongo ga hanasemasu).
| plain | 話せるhanaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 話せますhanasemasu | |
| plain negative | 話せないhanasenai | |
| polite negative | 話せませんhanasemasen |
Passive
受身形
Being spoken, mostly of languages: (sekaijū de hanasarete iru), spoken all over the world.
| plain | 話されるhanasareru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 話されますhanasaremasu | |
| plain negative | 話されないhanasarenai | |
| polite negative | 話されませんhanasaremasen |
Causative
使役形
Making or letting someone speak. (hanasasete kudasai) means “please let me speak”.
| plain | 話させるhanasaseru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 話させますhanasasemasu | |
| plain negative | 話させないhanasasenai | |
| polite negative | 話させませんhanasasemasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 話せばhanaseba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 話したらhanashitara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 話さなければhanasanakereba |
Examples
- 日本語が話せますか。Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka.Can you speak Japanese?
- もう少しゆっくり話してください。Mō sukoshi yukkuri hanashite kudasai.Please speak a little more slowly.
- 昨日、母と電話で話しました。Kinō, haha to denwa de hanashimashita.I talked to my mother on the phone yesterday.