How to Say ‘Do you speak English?’ in Japanese
英語を話せますか。
eigo o hanase masu ka
[ay-goh oh hah-nah-seh mahss kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [話せますか] means "can speak?" so this pattern asks about ability. You can swap the language: [日本語を話せますか], [中国語を話せますか].
Phrase Breakdown
英語
eigo
[ay-goh]
English language
Refers to the English language, not England.
英語を話せますか、少しでいいです。
Can you speak English? Even a little is fine.
を
o
[oh]
object marker
Marks 英語 as the object of the verb “speak.”
英語を話せますか、私は日本語が少しです。
Can you speak English? I only know a little Japanese.
話せ
hanase
[hah-nah-seh]
can speak
From 話せる, meaning to be able to speak. Very useful for language questions.
英語を話せますか、通訳はいますか。
Can you speak English? Is there an interpreter?
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite ending
Adds politeness to the ability form.
英語を話せますか、ゆっくりお願いします。
Can you speak English? Please speak slowly.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Turns the sentence into a question.
英語を話せますか、助かります。
Can you speak English? That would help.
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