音読み: ワ
訓読み: はなす・はなし
画数: 13
部首: ごんべん（言）
Meaning
Talk / Speak / Story
- Basic forms
- 話す — to speak / to talk / base form
- 話します — polite / I speak / masu form
- 話した — past / spoke / ta form
- 話して — te-form / speak (and …) / linking or request
- 話さない — negative / don’t speak / negative form
- 話せば — if I speak / conditional
- 話せ・話してみろ — speak! / try talking! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 話したい — want to speak / 〜たい form
- 話せる — can speak / potential form
- 話された — was spoken / told / passive
- 話させる — make someone speak / causative
- 話していた — was speaking / past progressive
- More
- 話そう — let’s talk / 〜よう form
- 話している — speaking / in conversation / progressive
- 話してあげる — speak to someone kindly / helper / benefactive
話す (はなす) is a godan (う-verb) ending with す.
The final す changes to し / せ / さ depending on the form —
for example, 話します, 話せる, 話さない.
It’s used both for everyday speech and formal conversation.
- 電話 — telephone
- 会話 — conversation
- 話題 — topic (of conversation)
- 談話 — conversation, talk
- 実話 — true story
- 対話 — dialogue, interaction
- 話術 — speaking skill, eloquence
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
- 話し合う — to discuss; to talk things over
- 話しかける — to start talking to; to speak to someone
- 話し出す — to start talking
- 話し続ける — to keep talking
- 話し込む — to get deep into conversation
- 話し終える — to finish talking
- 話し直す — to say again; to rephrase
話 combines 言 (speech) with 舌 (tongue) to show the act of speaking or exchanging words. It’s widely used in contexts involving verbal communication, storytelling, and conversation.