What is the Kanji for "Talk"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Talk", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Talk" is "話".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Hana" and "Hanashi".

Its onyomi reading is "Wa".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "言" means "Say" and can be read as "Gen", "I", "Gon", and "Koto". And The kanji "舌" means "Tongue" and can be read as "Shita" and "Zetsu".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "話" mean in japanese?

"話" means "Talk".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

話: "Talk". The Japanese noun '話 (はなし)' means 'talk'. This word refers to a spoken conversation or discourse between two or more people. It can be used to describe a wide range of discussions, from casual chats to formal speeches. For example: Let's have a talk - (話しをしましょう). I heard an interesting talk - (興味深い話を聞いた).

話す: "Speak". The Japanese verb '話す (はなす)' means 'to speak'. This verb is used to express verbal communication, such as saying words, conversing, or delivering a speech. It can be used with a variety of subjects, from people to animals. For example: I speak Japanese - (私は日本語を話します). The birds are speaking - (鳥が話している).

会話: "Conversation". The Japanese verbal noun '会話 (かいわ)' means 'conversation'. This word refers to an exchange of spoken words between two or more people. It can be used to describe both casual and formal discussions. For example: We had a pleasant conversation - (私たちは楽しい会話をした). The conversation was very interesting - (その会話はとても興味深かった).

電話: "Call". The verbal noun '電話 (でんわ)' means 'call'. This word refers to the act of making a phone call or being contacted by phone. It can be used to describe both outgoing and incoming calls. For example: I will call you - (電話します). I received a call from my friend - (友達から電話がありました).

話題: "Topic". The noun '話題 (わだい)' means 'topic'. It refers to the subject or theme that is being discussed or addressed. '話題' is commonly used to describe the main focus of a conversation, presentation, or article. For example: This is an interesting topic - (これは興味深い話題だ). Let's change the topic - (話題を変えましょう).

電話帳: "Phone book". The noun '電話帳 (でんわちょう)' refers to a book containing the names, addresses and phone numbers of people or businesses. It is used to look up and find contact information. For example: I need to look up a number in the phone book - (電話帳で番号を探さなければいけない). The phone book has all the contact details I need - (電話帳にはすべての連絡先が載っている).

世話: "Care". The Japanese verbal noun '世話 (せわ)' means 'care'. This term refers to the act of looking after or taking care of someone or something. It implies providing attention, assistance, and support to ensure the well-being of the recipient. For example: I take care of my grandmother - (私は祖母の世話をしている). Caring for a child is important - (子供の世話をすることは大切だ).

受話器: "Receiver". The noun '受話器 (じゅわき)' refers to the handset or receiver of a telephone. It is the part of the phone that you hold up to your ear to speak and listen during a call. For example: I picked up the receiver to answer the phone - (受話器を耳に当てて電話に出ました).

話し合う: "Discuss". The Japanese verb '話し合う (はなしあう)' means 'to discuss'. This verb is used when two or more people engage in a conversation to exchange ideas, opinions or information about a particular topic. It implies a back-and-forth exchange rather than a one-sided conversation. For example: Let's discuss this together - (一緒に話し合いましょう). We discussed the project details - (プロジェクトの詳細について話し合った).

話し掛ける: "Address" or "Talk to". The Japanese verb '話し掛ける (はなしかける)' means 'to address' or 'to talk to'. This verb is used when initiating a conversation with someone, either by starting a new discussion or by speaking to someone directly. It conveys the nuance of reaching out to or engaging with another person through speech. For example: He addressed the crowd - (彼は群衆に話し掛けた). I will talk to my teacher after class - (授業後に先生に話し掛けよう).

神話: "Mythology". The Japanese word '神話 (しんわ)' refers to traditional stories or narratives that involve supernatural beings, often used to explain the origins of the world, the creation of humans, and the histories and beliefs of a culture. These mythological tales are an important part of many ancient belief systems and provide insight into the worldviews and values of different societies. For example: The myths of ancient Greece are fascinating - (古代ギリシアの神話は非常に興味深い). Japanese mythology includes stories about kami (gods) - (日本の神話にはカミ (神) についての物語が含まれる).

話し合い: "Discussion". The noun '話し合い (はなしあい)' means 'discussion'. It refers to the act of talking together to exchange ideas, opinions or information about a particular topic. It suggests a mutual exchange of views in a cooperative manner. For example: We had a discussion about the project - (私たちはプロジェクトについて話し合いました). They engaged in a discussion - (彼らは話し合いに参加した).

長話: "Lengthy talk". The Japanese verbal noun '長話 (ながばなし)' means 'lengthy talk'. It refers to a prolonged conversation or discussion that goes on for an extended period. This word can be used to indicate that someone is rambling on or talking excessively about a topic. For example: Don't give me a lengthy talk, just get to the point - (長話はよせ、要点を言ってくれ).

作り話: "Fabrication". The Japanese noun '作り話 (つくりばなし)' means 'fabrication'. This word refers to a made-up story or an account that is not true. It implies that the information being presented is false or fictional, created deliberately to mislead or deceive. For example: That's just a fabrication - (それは単なる作り話だ). He told a fabrication to cover up his mistake - (彼は間違いを隠すため作り話を語った).

対話: "Dialogue". The verbal noun '対話 (たいわ)' refers to an exchange of views or opinions between two or more people. It implies an interactive and thoughtful conversation, often with the goal of mutual understanding or problem-solving. For example: They engaged in a meaningful dialogue - (彼らは意味深い対話を行った). Dialogue is an important part of resolving conflicts - (対話は衝突を解決する上で重要な部分である).

受話: "Receiver". The Japanese noun '受話 (じゅわ)' refers to a telephone receiver or handset. It is the part of a telephone that you hold to your ear to speak and listen. This word is commonly used when talking about making or receiving phone calls. For example: I picked up the receiver to make a call - (電話の受話器をとって通話した) or She answered the receiver - (受話器をとった).

話し言葉: "Spoken language". The Japanese noun '話し言葉 (はなしことば)' refers to spoken language, as opposed to written language. It describes the verbal form of communication, including conversational speech, dialogues, and informal expressions. Spoken language is often more casual, contextual, and spontaneous compared to formal written language. For example: Spoken language is easier to understand than written language - (話し言葉は書き言葉より分かりやすい)

話し声: "Voice". The Japanese noun '話し声 (はなしごえ)' refers to the sound of a person's voice, particularly when they are speaking or conversing. It can be used to describe the tone, volume, or quality of someone's voice. For example: Her voice is soft - (彼女の話し声は優しい). The loud voice of the teacher - (先生の大きな話し声)

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "は" is read as "ha". The hiragana "な" is read as "na". The hiragana "わ" is read as "wa". And The hiragana "し" is read as "shi".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.