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How to Say ‘Talking (the act of talking)’ in Japanese

話すこと

hanasu koto

[hah-nah-soo koh-toh]

💬 Usage Tip: Verb + [こと] turns an action into a noun: [話すこと] = "the act of talking." Super useful for interview-style explanations.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese often uses this nominalizing style to sound organized and objective—good for interview answers.

Phrase Breakdown

話す

hanasu

[hah-nah-soo]

to speak; to talk

Verb meaning “to speak/talk.” In interviews, used to describe communication style: 人と話す.

Example

人と話すのが好きです。

I like talking with people.

こと

koto

[koh-toh]

thing; act of; nominalizer

Turns a verb into a noun meaning “the act of …” / “to … (as a thing).” 話すこと = “talking.”

Example

話すことを大切にしています。

I value communication (talking).

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