How do you say "There's something I want to talk about." in Japanese?

"There's something I want to talk about." in Japanese is "話したいことがある。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "話したいことがある。" mean in English?

"話したいことがある。" means "There's something I want to talk about." in English. Usage tip: Pattern: verb-stem + [たい] + [ことがある]. It’s direct but still natural. Softer option: [ちょっと話したいことがあって…。]

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How to Say ‘There's something I want to talk about.’ in Japanese

話したいことがある。

hanashi tai koto ga aru

[hah-nah-shee tie (like “tie” in English) koh-toh gah (particle) ah-roo]

💬 Usage Tip: Pattern: verb-stem + [たい] + [ことがある]. It’s direct but still natural. Softer option: [ちょっと話したいことがあって…。]

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, giving a small heads-up like [話したいことがある] signals “serious talk,” so timing matters—say it when the mood is calm.

Phrase Breakdown

話し

hanashi

[hah-nah-shee]

talk; speak (stem)

Stem of 話す. Used before auxiliaries like 「たい」 to say “want to talk.”

Example

少し話しませんか。話したいことがある。

Can we talk a bit? There’s something I want to talk about.

たい

tai

[tie (like “tie” in English)]

want to; would like to

「〜たい」 expresses the speaker’s desire. 「話したい」 = “I want to talk.”

Example

話したいことがある。

There’s something I want to talk about.

こと

koto

[koh-toh]

thing; matter; (nominalizer)

Makes 「話したい」 into a noun phrase: 「話したいこと」 = “what I want to talk about.”

Example

話したいことがある。

There’s something I want to talk about.

が

[gah (particle)]

subject marker

Marks the subject. In 「ことがある」, it highlights “there is a matter (that exists).”

Example

話したいことがある。

There’s something I want to talk about.

ある

aru

[ah-roo]

to exist; to have (inanimate)

Used for existence/possession. 「〜がある」 = “there is … / I have ….” Common to start serious talk: 「話したいことがある」.

Example

話したいことがある。

There’s something I want to talk about.

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