Speak Confidently With Japanese Conversation Practice (Skits + Tips for All Levels)

One of our main goals when learning a new language is to be able to connect with people in that language. If you’re planning a trip to Japan or simply want to more fully enjoy Japanese culture, improving your Japanese speaking skills will be invaluable. So, how do you take your Japanese conversation practice to the next level?

Getting the right kind of practice for your level takes some reflection, especially if you’re self-learning Japanese. Start by taking stock of your current speaking and listening abilities, and then use the conversation topics and sample scripts here to guide how to practice Japanese conversation for your needs.

Table of Contents

• Beginner (basic) Japanese conversation practice
• Intermediate (independent) Japanese conversation practice
• Advanced (proficient) Japanese conversation practice
• Tips for confident conversation practice in Japanese
• Speak Japanese in Japan to make a good first impression

Beginner (basic) Japanese conversation practice

Your Japanese language fluency level will guide your approach to conversation practice. Using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), you can get a good idea of where you are now.

Beginners are categorized into the A1 and A2 levels. At those levels, you should be able to:

• introduce yourself and others
• choose appropriate greetings and expressions
• express likes and dislikes
• use simple sentences to communicate
• ask basic questions or respond to them

How to practice beginner conversations in Japanese

Japanese conversation practice for beginners is about getting comfortable speaking and listening in real time without pausing to look something up, if possible. Start with activities that teach you how to speak Japanese like these:

• Travelers to Japan who need conversation skits for essential interactions (like talking to taxi drivers or hotel staff) can use NHK’s Japanese conversation lessons. You can watch the conversations in a video, get subtitles in English and Japanese, learn key vocabulary, practice with short quizzes, and more.
• Use Japanese conversation practice videos by Tanaka san for structured scenarios. Each video features a character that holds one half of the conversation, and you respond in the allotted time between lines. They also have transcripts available, some for free and some for a few dollars each.
• If you don’t have a conversation partner that speaks Japanese, don’t let that stop you from practicing. Hold one-sided conversations by speaking out loud to yourself or pet so that you at least get Japanese speaking practice.

Topics for beginner Japanese conversations

As a beginner Japanese language learner, start with conversation topics like:

• Appropriate Japanese greetings for common situations
  • Konnichiwa.（こんにちは。）= Hello.
  • Konbanwa.（こんばんは。）= Good evening.
• Talking about where you’re from and what language(s) you speak
  • Watashi wa Amerika no shusshin desu.（私はアメリカの出身です。）= I am from the United States.
  • Watashi wa Nihongo o hanashimasu.（私は日本語を話します。）= I speak Japanese.
• Common Japanese phrases like “thank you” in Japanese
  • Arigatō gozaimasu.（ありがとうございます。）= Thank you.
  • Hai.（はい。）= Yes.
• Useful Japanese questions for everyday situations
  • Otearai wa doko desu ka.（お手洗いはどこですか。）= Where is the restroom?
  • Ima nanji desu ka.（今何時ですか。）= What time is it?
• Being able to describe people’s actions (in each of the verb tenses Japanese has)
  • Kanojo wa hon o kaimashita.（彼女は本を買いました。）= She bought a book.
  • Watashi wa kaigan ni ikimasu.（私は海岸に行きます。）= I am going to the beach.

Beginner Japanese conversation scripts

To get you started, try out these basic Japanese conversation scripts. You can either read both parts alone, with a partner, or you can read one part and let the audio play the other. 

Communicating costs is essential for living or traveling in Japan. The Japanese currency is the yen (or en in Japanese), but knowing other common currencies can be useful for understanding value.

• Dochira no kutsu ga suki desu ka.（どちらのくつが好きですか。）= Which shoes do you like?
  • Watashi wa kuroi kutsu no hō ga suki desu.（私は黒いくつの方が好きです。）= I like the black shoes.
  • Ikura desu ka.（いくらですか。）= How much do they cost?
• Rokujū yūro desu.（六十ユーロです。）= They cost sixty euros.

If you’re in a situation that requires frequent communication between native and non-native Japanese speakers (like a business trip), finding a common language to use can be important.

• Sumimasen.（すみません。）= Excuse me.
• Eigo o hanashimasu ka.（英語を話しますか。）= Do you speak English?
  • Hai. Eigo o hanashimasu.（はい。英語を話します。）= Yes. I speak English.
• Nihongo o hanashimasu ka.（日本語を話しますか。）= Do you speak Japanese?
  • Hai. Nihongo o hanashimasu.（はい。日本語を話します。）= Yes. I speak Japanese.

Self-introductions are essential for making connections, so you’ll need to know how to share your name and say “nice to meet you” in Japanese.

• Konnichiwa. Onamae wa?（こんにちは。お名前は？）= Hello. What is your name?
  • Jōnzu desu.（ジョーンズです。）= My name is [Mr.] Jones.
  • Dōzo yoroshiku.（どうぞよろしく。）= Nice to meet you.
  • Onamae wa?（お名前は？）= What is your name?
• Maiku Sumisu desu.（マイク・スミスです。）= My name is Mike Smith.
  • Dōzo yoroshiku.（どうぞよろしく。）= Nice to meet you.

Intermediate (independent) Japanese conversation practice

Intermediate-level conversations delve into more details, uncommon situations, and abstract topics. At this level (CEFR B1-B2), you can:

• understand clearly spoken Japanese
• engage in prolonged conversations across multiple topics
• express personal beliefs and points of view, and explain thoughts behind them
• follow and contribute to business discussions
• understand verbal instructions and ask appropriate questions for clarification

How to take conversation practice to the next level in Japanese

The best intermediate-level conversation practice is to have conversations in Japanese with another person, like a language exchange partner. However, your practice can be productive whether you have a partner or not.

• Schedule a lesson with a Japanese tutor. Good tutors can gauge your current skill level and give you level-appropriate conversation practice by reinforcing the knowledge you have, introducing you to new topics, and correcting mistakes.
• If you work in Japan, use sample business conversations in Japanese to prepare for the kind of interactions you’re likely to have, like accepting an offer, expressing gratitude, and offering suggestions.
• Use the text-to-speech feature on a mobile device to check your Japanese pronunciation. As you practice scripts and other mock conversations, a text-to-speech tool will help you see where the program misunderstood you. Check the word’s pronunciation with a dictionary like Kakimashou and try again.
• If you don’t have a conversation partner, have a conversation with yourself. Change your voice or use different Japanese pronouns to alter the persona of your “partner.”

Intermediate conversation topics in Japanese

For intermediate conversation topics, you should be able to incorporate things like:

• Handling inconveniences, dangers, or emergencies
  • Nido desu. Kōto o kita hō ga ii desu yo.（二度です。コートを着たほうがいいですよ。）= It is two degrees. You should wear a coat.
• Expressing things that you want or want to do
  • Watashi wa sutajiamu ni ikitai desu.（私はスタジアムに行きたいです。）= I want to go to the stadium.

• Giving advice, instructions, and directions
  • Kono basu ni notta hō ga ii desu yo. Motto hayai desu.（このバスに乗ったほうがいいですよ。もっと速いです。）= You should take this bus. It is faster.
• More complex sentences that include multiple clauses by using Japanese conjunctions
  • Kuruma ga attara, kare wa aruku hitsuyō ga nai deshō.（車があったら、彼は歩く必要がないでしょう。）= If he had a car, he would not have to walk.
• Japanese fillers (like “um”) and backchanneling (like “oh yeah?”), or aizuchi (相槌)
  • ano（あの）= Um
  • etto（えっと）= Uh
  • hē（へぇー）= Really?
  • naruhodo（なるほど）= I see
  • wakaru（わかる）= I get it

Intermediate Japanese conversation scripts

The biggest leap from beginner to intermediate conversations is the ability to use longer, more detailed sentences to have in-depth discussions.

When you get back from a trip, you might want to tell people all about it. Doing so requires mastery of the past tense (for verbs and adjectives) and the vocabulary to describe your experience in detail.

• Ryokō wa dō deshita ka.（旅行はどうでしたか。）= How was your vacation?
  • Tottemo yokatta desu yo.（とっても良かったですよ。）= It was very good.
• Doko ni ikimashita ka.（どこに行きましたか。）= Where did you go?
  • Nihon hokubu to Indo ni ikimashita.（日本北部とインドに行きました。）= I went to northern Japan and India.
• Nihon dewa nani o mimashita ka.（日本では何を見ましたか。）= What did you see in Japan?
  • Kono machi dewa, fuyu no aida ni yuki de totemo ōkii ie o tsukurimasu.（この町では、冬の間に雪でとても大きい家を作ります。）= During the winter in this city, the Japanese build very big houses out of snow.
• Hontō desu ka. Kirei desu ne. Tabemono wa oishikatta desu ka.（本当ですか。きれいですね。食べ物はおいしかったですか。）= Really? They are beautiful. Did you like the food?
  • Ee. Sakana ga totemo oishikatta desu.（ええ。魚がとてもおいしかったです。）= Yes. The fish was very good.

Making plans requires mixing Japanese phrases, conjunctions, reasons, and more. Being able to put these pieces together to create a cohesive conversation is an important intermediate-level milestone.

• Kinyōbi ni, Furansu ryōri no resutoran ni ikimasen ka.（金曜日に、フランス料理のレストランに行きませんか。）= Would you like to go with me to a French restaurant on Friday?
  • Gomennasai. Ikemasen. Kinyōbi wa sobo to yūgohan o taberun desu.（ごめんなさい。行けません。金曜日は祖母と夕ご飯を食べるんです。）= I’m sorry, I cannot. I am eating dinner with my grandmother on Friday.
• Doyōbi wa aiteimasu ka.（土曜日はあいていますか。）= Are you free on Saturday?
  • Hai, aiteimasu.（はい、あいています。）= Yes, I am free.
• Eiga o mimasen ka.（映画を見ませんか。）= Do you want to watch a movie?
  • Ii desu ne. Doyōbi no ichiji ni koko de aimashō.（いいですね。土曜日の一時にここで会いましょう。）= Okay! I will meet you here at one p.m. on Saturday.

Using numbers in Japanese is more complicated than English due to Japanese counters, which require a different suffix (and sometimes different number pronunciation) for different types of objects. If you work in Japan, knowing how to count different types of items will be essential.

• Kono sūtsukēsu no omosa wa jukkiro desu.（このスーツケースの重さは十キロです。）= Your suitcase weighs ten kilograms.
• Kono tatemono no takasa wa nijū mētoru desu.（この建物の高さは二十メートルです。）= This building is twenty meters tall.
• Nagasa san mētoru de haba ni mētoru desu.（長さ三メートルで幅二メートルです。）= It is three meters long by two meters wide.
• Sukunakutomo jūmai wa hitsuyō desu.（少なくとも十枚は必要です。）= We need at least ten plates.
• Otoko no ko wa pai o santōbun ni kirimashita.（男の子はパイを三等分に切りました。）= The boy cut the pie into thirds.
• Kore wa marugoto no piza desu.（これは丸ごとのピザです。）= This is a whole pizza.

Advanced (proficient) Japanese conversation practice

If your Japanese conversation skills are advanced, you are approaching native-level fluency. You should be able to have a conversation about any topic, even if you’ve never encountered the subject matter before. At this level, having regular conversations with people who have native or near-native fluency is essential for improvement.

Someone with advanced (CEFR C1-C2) Japanese language proficiency can:

• understand any native speaker, with some required adjustment for different Japanese dialects
• converse comfortably in casual and formal situations
• apply idioms and colloquial expressions accurately
• participate in group discussions, following multiple perspectives
• use business-style keigo (Japanese honorific language) naturally

How to practice fluent conversations in Japanese

Practicing fluent conversations requires you to have a fluent conversation partner. It’s easiest to find one by going to places where you can meet people who speak Japanese as their native language.

• Look for places in your area where you can speak with native Japanese speakers. You can try restaurants, local Japanese community events, and Japanese organizations like these resources in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area. Look for similar groups near you!
• Search for online events or meet-ups with a discussion component or which are designed to bring people together to speak Japanese. A popular, free online Japanese conversation meet-up is Oshaberi IZAKAYA where a large community of Japanese language learners come together to have fun conversations in a stress-free environment. Keep in mind that this community welcomes all levels.  
• If you can, plan a trip to Japan. Language immersion is one of the best ways to learn a language, and you’ll be surrounded by Japanese in all forms when you go, with no shortage of potential conversation partners.

For times when you can’t practice speaking with another person, you can still work on your speaking skills to improve your fluency.

• Record yourself when you practice, whether you’re practicing a conversation or monologuing. After you’re done, listen to your recording and evaluate your grammatical accuracy, pronunciation, and diction.
• Rather than looking up a word you don’t know mid-sentence, describe it or use synonyms to convey your meaning. You can look up the word that eluded you afterward.

Advanced conversation topics in Japanese

Advanced Japanese conversation topics go beyond the day-to-day necessities and into unfamiliar territory. That includes:

• Social, ethical, and cultural topics
  • Indo no shukujitsu dewa, ōku no hito ga odottari utattari shimasu.（インドの祝日では、多くの人が踊ったり歌ったりします。）= Many people like to dance and sing during Indian holidays.
• Current events and news
  • Igirisu no shushō wa Doitsu ni tōchaku shimashita.（イギリスの首相はドイツに到着しました。）= The prime minister of the United Kingdom is arriving in Germany.
• Business-related topics using keigo
  • Yamamoto shachō wa irasshaimasu ka.（山本社長はいらっしゃいますか。）= Is President Yamamoto here?

Advanced Japanese conversation script(s)

When you practice advanced-level conversations, consider cultural and social aspects of the situation, not just language. 

Most stores in Japan sell their goods for the marked price and will not bargain, but you might be able to politely request to haggle at places like flea markets.

• Sono hata wa ikura desu ka.（その旗はいくらですか。）= How much do the flags cost?
  • Jūni yūro desu.（十二ユーロです。）= The flags cost twelve euros.
• Mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka.（もう少し安くなりませんか。）= Can you sell one for less?
  • Ippon o yasuku uru no wa muzukashii desu ne.（一本を安く売るのは難しいですね。）= I do not know if I can sell one for less.
  • Demo, nihon o nijū yūro de urimasu yo. Nihon ikaga desu ka.（でも、二本を二十ユーロで売りますよ。二本いかがですか。）= I can sell two flags for twenty euros. Will you buy two?
• Hai, nihon kaimasu.（はい、二本買います。）= Yes, I will buy two.
• Arigatō gozaimasu.（ありがとうございます。）= Thank you.
  • Dōmo.（どうも。）= You’re welcome.

Working in Japan requires some knowledge of business-appropriate keigo, especially when talking to a superior.

• Ano sumimasen.（あのーすみません。）= Um, excuse me.
• Kaigishitsu wa dokoka, oshiete itadakemasen ka.（会議室はどこか、教えていただけませんか。）= Would you please tell me where the meeting room is?
  • Aa, achira desu. Buchō no ofisu no mukai ni arimasu.（ああ、あちらです。部長のオフィスの向かいにあります。）= Ah, it’s over there. It’s across from the department manager’s office.
• Arigatō gozaimasu. Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.（ありがとうございます。では、失礼します。）= Thank you very much. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.

Not all conversations involve only two people. Try adding a third person to your conversation practice for more variation.

• Kore o oboete imasu ka.（これを覚えていますか。）= Do you remember this?
  • Hai, oboete imasu yo. Kore wa hito ga hajimete… no ue o aruita… no ue… Nihongo de nan to iimasu ka.（はい、覚えていますよ。これは人が始めて、、、の上を歩いた、、、の上、 、、 日本語で何といいますか。）= Yes, I remember. This is when men first walked on the…on the…what is it called in Japanese?
    • Nihongo de, “tsuki” to iimasu.（日本語で、「月」といいます。）= In Japanese, it is called the “moon.”
• Tsuki no ue o aruita Amerikajin no parēdo o mitan desu yo. Shitte imashita ka.（月の上を歩いたアメリカ人のパレードを見たんですよ。知っていましたか。）= Did you know that I saw a parade with the Americans who walked on the moon?
  • Hontō desu ka. Shirimasendeshita.（本当ですか。知りませんでした。）= Really? I didn’t know that!
    • Itsu mimashita ka.（いつ見ましたか。）= When did you see it?
• 1973 nen ni, Amerika o ryokō shiteita toki ni mimashita.（1973年に、アメリカを旅行していた時に見ました。）= I saw it in 1973, when I was on vacation in the United States.

Tips for confident conversation practice in Japanese

Conversation practice combines listening and speaking skills, which can be a challenge for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners alike. No matter what level your skills are, these tips apply:

• Pay attention to where Japanese particles are in a sentence and use them to pace your speech. If you need to pause in a sentence, do so after the end of a clause or after a particle.
• There’s no shame in asking someone to repeat themselves if you didn’t catch it the first time. Remember this phrase for when you need to hear something one more time:
  • Sumimasen. Mō ichido itte kudasai.（すみません。もう一度言ってください。）= Excuse me. Can you repeat that, please?
• You can have productive speaking and conversation practice even if you don’t have another person to practice with. Integrate speaking into your studies of other aspects of Japanese, like reading out loud when you do Japanese reading practice or repeating what you hear when you do Japanese listening practice.

Speak Japanese in Japan to make a good first impression

If you say even one sentence in Japanese when you visit Japan, you’re likely to be told Nihongo jōzu desu ne (日本語上手ですね), or “You’re good at Japanese!” by pleasantly surprised locals. The people you speak to will appreciate any effort you make to speak Japanese with them instead of hoping they will speak English. Any Japanese conversation practice you do ahead of time will pay off from the moment you step off the plane.

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