If you are not living in Japan or have no Japanese friends learning how to converse in Japanese is quite a challenge. It is quite easy to learn how to read and write kana and kanji, to study grammar and to learn lots of words by yourself. Conversation is different – you need a Japanese person to speak to. In this post we will do some Japanese conversation practice. Hopefully you will learn something new.
A Typical Japanese Conversation
Imagine you are at a train station wanting to go to Shibuya. You have forgotten your watch. You ask a stranger for the time and the time of the next train.
A: すみません。 いま なんじですか。
B: じゅういちじはんです。
A: すぎのでんしゃ なにじに きますか
B: ごふんにきます
A: ありがとう ございます
B: いいえ
In the above conversation すみません is said to get the strangers attention. Remember すみません can also mean “Thank you” or “I’m sorry” depending on context. In this case it means “Excuse me”.
To ask for the time in Japanese the set phrase なんじですか is used.
なん (what) じ (time) ですか (question particle). いま means “now”.
If you have studied Japanese numbers you will know that じゅういち is 11. So じゅういちじ means 11 o’clock. はん means half past. So じゅういちじはんです means “It is 11:30”. です is just the sentence ending particle. Depending on context it can mean “It is”, “They are” and so on.
Let’s have a look at the next line, すぎのでんしゃ なんじに きますか. Again this is a time question
すぎ のでんしゃ – means next train. The のis just the possessive particle.
なんじに – What time…
きますか – Come? Here we have the ますform of the plain verb くる, which means “come”. By adding か the sentence becomes a question..
What time does the next train come? – すぎのでんしゃ なにじに きますか
Now, for the answer; ごふんにきます. As both the speaker and listener know the subject (the next train) it doesn’t need to be stated in the reply. This is very typical of Japanese. So the answer is something like this – (the train) comes in 5 minutes.
ごふん meaning 5 minutes and the verb きます meaning come.
ごふんにきます - It comes in 5 minutes
ありがとう ございます of course means “thank you” and いいえ means “Don’t mention it.”
Here is the conversation in English
A: すみません。 いま なんじですか。
B: じゅういちじはんです。
A: すぎのでんしゃ なにじに きますか
B: ごふんにきます
A: ありがとう ございます
B: いいえ
A: Excuse me. What time is it?
B: It is 11.30
A: What time does the next train come?
B: In 5 minutes
A: Thank you
B: You’re welcome
Getting Japanese Conversation Practice
If you are in the unfortunate situation where you can’t find a native Japanese speaker to help you with your studies there is one alternative – Japanese TV, particularly dramas. Watching Japanese television dramas is an excellent way to pick up words and learn Japanese conversation dynamics. Japanese converse very differently to westerners. If you watch dramas you can see how Japanese converse in fairly natural every speech. Movies are usually too difficult and the story lines unrealistic. So buy some drama sets on e-bay or get on to youtube and start watching dramas.
Speaking Japanese is a challenge, like an endless battle with small victories and many defeats. However, learning Japanese is stimulating and incredibly rewarding. The best way to start speaking Japanese quickly is to learn verbs. In fact the most important thing you can do in order to speak Japanese is start learning verbs. If you can understand verbs you will make great progress with your Japanese in a short period of time. The reason why is in real everyday spoken conversation Japanese speakers more often than not drop the subject and object of sentences leaving just the verb. In colloquial speech Japanese can almost have entire conversations just using verbs if the subject and object is understood by both the speaker and listener. Understanding who or what is being spoken about can be very confusing unless you know and understand verb forms.
Japanese verbs are complex requiring a lot of practice and study to understand them in written Japanese and spoken Japanese. Learning verbs is difficult because there are so many conjugations. However, Japanese verbs don’t have forms to indicate gender, number or person (first, second or third person). This is good as a beginner, but as you progress you will need to work out from context what is being spoken about when among native speakers.
I have noticed that a lot of confirmation is involved in Japanese conversations. A speaker will say something a bit ambiguous or vague and the listener will have to ask a few questions to get to the point of what the speaker wants to say. You may find this frustrating and illogical as you progress with Japanese. By culture Japanese like to avoid confrontation and don’t want to cause trouble for people . As a result they are very careful about what they say and how they say things. To westerners it does feel somewhat childish and time wasting, but it is something you have to adapt to. So you must also learn that you need a great deal of patience with not only learning the Japanese language, but with actually speaking to Japanese.
So here are two tips for learning to speak Japanese; start learning verbs and understand that there is an art to Japanese conversation that requires patience and cultural understanding on your part. Also, be aware that the Japanese language is changing and evolving or some might say desintergrating. What you might be learning in a text book may not be useful in Japan. The way young people speak is adding a new aspect to the language. I relate it to a verbal representation of the booming pop cultures of Japan. It is amazing how quickly Japanese come up with new words and expressions. More for you to learn.
