How do you say "Can you speak slowly?" in Japanese?

"Can you speak slowly?" in Japanese is "ゆっくり話してもらえますか？". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

🇯🇵

How to Say ‘Can you speak slowly?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "ゆっくり話してもらえますか？" mean in English?

"ゆっくり話してもらえますか？" means "Can you speak slowly?" in English. Usage tip: [ゆっくり] is an adverb here, so it tells you how the speaking should happen: "slowly." You'll see the same pattern in [ゆっくり言ってください] and [ゆっくり歩いて].

ゆっくり話してもらえますか？

yukkuri hanashi te morae masu ka

[yukkuri hanashi te morae masu ka]

💬 Usage Tip: [ゆっくり] is an adverb here, so it tells you how the speaking should happen: "slowly." You'll see the same pattern in [ゆっくり言ってください] and [ゆっくり歩いて].

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a polite, very usable phrase with staff, teachers, or someone you just met. It's a good default when you need help understanding spoken Japanese.

Phrase Breakdown

ゆっくり

yukkuri

[yukkuri]

slowly

At a slow speed; not quickly.

Example

ゆっくり歩いてください。

Please walk slowly.

話して

hanashi te

[hanashi]

speak / talk

The action being requested.

Example

ゆっくり話してください。

Please speak slowly.

Words in this phrase

話し

hanashi

[hanashi]

to speak

To communicate using words.

Example

日本語で話します。

I speak in Japanese.

て

[te]

and

Used to connect words of the same part of speech.

Example

食べて飲む。

Eat and drink.

もらえますか？

morae masu ka

[morae]

could you do it for me?

Polite request pattern asking someone to do an action for the speaker.

Example

手伝ってもらえますか？

Could you help me?

Words in this phrase

もらえ

morae

[morae]

can receive

To be able to obtain something.

Example

一緒に行ってもらえますか。

Can you go with me?

ます

masu

[masu]

polite ending

A polite verb ending in Japanese.

Example

手伝ってくれますか。

Can you help me?

か

[ka]

question marker

Placed at the end of a sentence to indicate a question.

Example

これは何ですか。

What is this?

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