It’s hard to identify exactly what is considered a natural flow without hearing it for yourself, so many Japanese teachers recommend a technique called shadowing. Knowing when to pause is important – if not, you might risk sounding stiff or worse, rushed. In Tokyo dialect, or standard Japanese, the word “now” is accented on the first hiragana ( i↘ma ), as compared to the second ( ima↘ ) in Kansai dialect, which is spoken in Osaka. Both bridge and chopsticks are written as “ hashi ” in Japanese, but where the accent is placed is important – the pitch for the first hiragana “ha” is a little higher than “shi” for chopsticks.ĭepending on how you accentuate certain words, you might also end up speaking “non-standard” Japanese and be mistaken for someone from Osaka. If you are not careful, you might get confused looks when you talk about eating rice with a bridge ( ha↗shi), instead of a chopstick ( ha↘shi). An incorrect pitch accent is therefore telling of a foreign accent. Japanese is a language that relies heavily on pitch accents, which means that words are distinguished based on which particular hiragana is accented. “ Anō ” (あのう) is similar to “ eeto ”, but it can also function as an “excuse me” to inform someone that you want to say something. “ Te-iu-ka ” (ていうか) comes in handy when you need to rephrase something. Use “ eeto ” (えーと) when you need more time to organise your thoughts, or “ nanka ” (なんか) when you are searching for the right word or phrase. It is an effective way to sound more natural in spoken conversations, especially in a casual setting. S o, um, don’t be afraid to use more filler words. It serves to signal to the other party that you are not done speaking and are pausing to think.Īn equivalent in English would be to inject “um” before you start talking. Incorporate more filler words into your speechįiller words are short, meaningless sounds and phrases used to fill up pauses at the start of or in the middle of sentences. For written Japanese, it is best to stick to proper “textbook grammar”.įor more language guides, check out these articles:ġ. Do note that these tips mostly apply to spoken Japanese. That’s why we have compiled 11 useful tips not taught in textbooks that can help you speak Japanese like a native. However, to achieve that level of fluency, simply learning “textbook Japanese” is not enough. Speaking Japanese fluently like a native is the ultimate goal of many language learners. For further information, see Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity.Useful tips to speak Japanese like a native Its research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from any third party. Gartner prides itself on its reputation for independence and objectivity. Your access and use of this publication are governed by Gartner’s Usage Policy. Although Gartner research may address legal and financial issues, Gartner does not provide legal or investment advice and its research should not be construed or used as such. While the information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. It consists of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization, which should not be construed as statements of fact. This publication may not be reproduced or distributed in any form without Gartner’s prior written permission. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc.
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