How to Say ‘Do you speak English?’ in Japanese
英語を話しますか？
eigo o hanashi masu ka
[eigo o hanashi masu ka]
💬 Usage Tip: [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].
Phrase Breakdown
英語
eigo
[eigo]
English
The language spoken primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom.
彼は英語が上手です。
He is good at English.
を
o
[o]
direct object marker
Used to mark the direct object of a verb.
本を読みます。
I read a book.
話しますか？
hanashi masu ka
[hanashi]
Do you speak?
Polite question asking whether someone speaks a language.
日本語を話しますか？
Do you speak Japanese?
Words in this phrase
話し
hanashi
[hanashi]
speak
The act of talking or conversing in a language.
日本語を話します。
I speak Japanese.
ます
masu
[masu]
polite present form
Used to indicate a polite or respectful tone.
行きます。
I will go.
か
ka
[ka]
question marker
Used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question.
それは正しいですか？
Is that correct?
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