How do you say "Shall we talk?" in Japanese?

"Shall we talk?" in Japanese is "話しませんか". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘Shall we talk?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "話しませんか" mean in English?

"話しませんか" means "Shall we talk?" in English. Usage tip: The [〜ませんか] ending is a polite way to invite someone: [飲みませんか。] = "Would you like to have a drink?" It sounds less pushy than a direct command or blunt question.

話しませんか

hanashi mase n ka

[hah-nah-shee mah-seh n kah]

💬 Usage Tip: The [〜ませんか] ending is a polite way to invite someone: [飲みませんか。] = "Would you like to have a drink?" It sounds less pushy than a direct command or blunt question.

Phrase Breakdown

話し

hanashi

[hah-nah-shee]

speak; talk

Verb stem of 話す, used here in a polite invitation form.

Example

少し話しませんかと聞かれました。

I was asked, 'Would you like to talk a little?'

ませ

mase

[mah-seh]

polite negative invitation part

Part of ませんか, a polite way to invite someone: 'won't you...?' or 'would you like to...?'

Example

一緒に飲みませかと誘いました。

I invited them by saying, 'Would you like to drink together?'

ん

[n]

negative marker

Part of ません, the polite negative ending used here in a question to make a soft invitation.

Example

行きませんかと聞いてみました。

I tried asking, 'Would you like to go?'

か

[kah]

question marker

Marks the sentence as a question. In invitations, it makes the phrase sound polite and open-ended.

Example

少し休みませんか。

Would you like to take a short break?

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