Basic phrases for learners: Basic Phrases

💬 [話します] means "speak" here, and [英語を話します] is the usual pattern: language + [を] + speak. You can swap in another language, like [日本語を話します].

💬 [は] is written [は] but said (wa) when it marks the topic, so [私は] is (watashi wa), not (watashi ha). Also, [勉強しています] means you're in the middle of studying, not just "study" in general.

💬 [分かりません] is the negative form of [分かります], so it means "I don't understand" or "I don't know." In real conversation, Japanese often leaves out [私 は], so this can stand on its own.

💬 [〜てもらえますか] is a very useful polite way to ask someone to do something for you: here, [言ってもらえますか] means "could you say it?" You can reuse it with other actions, like [書いてもらえますか？] for "Could you write it down?"

🇯🇵 This is a polite, natural way to ask someone to repeat themselves in shops, stations, or class. It sounds softer than a direct command, so it's a good default with people you don't know.

🇯🇵 This is understandable, but [話して] is a plain request and can sound direct with strangers. In real situations, [ゆっくり話してもらえますか？] or [ゆっくりお願いします] is usually safer.