How to Say 'I Think Education Is Important' in Japanese and Respectfully Share Your Opinion
Learn to express opinions in Japanese using 〜と思います (to omoimasu). Practice stating 'I think education is important' and respecting others' views without direct disagreement.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In Japanese, sharing your opinion politely often involves the pattern 〜と思います (to omoimasu), meaning 'I think that...'. This lesson teaches you to say 'I think education is important' and to express your stance while respecting others. You'll learn to use 〜と思います with adjectives and nouns, and to soften disagreement by acknowledging the other person's view. By the end, you'll be able to participate in gentle discussions about topics like education, using natural elementary Japanese.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I think education is important' in Japanese using 〜と思います.
- express my opinion about a topic using adjectives and nouns with 〜と思います.
- respectfully acknowledge someone else's opinion before sharing my own.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
教育は大切だと思います。
I think education is important.
Kyōiku wa taisetsu da to omoimasu.
Use this to state your opinion that education is important. 大切 (taisetsu) is a na-adjective meaning 'important' or 'precious'.
私はそう思います。
I think so.
Watashi wa sō omoimasu.
Use this to agree with someone's opinion. It literally means 'I think that way.' To say 'I think so too,' use 私もそう思います (Watashi mo sō omoimasu).
なるほど、そうですね。
I see, right.
Naruhodo, sō desu ne.
Use this to acknowledge someone's point without fully agreeing. It shows you are listening and considering their view. そうですね can also signal agreement depending on tone, so it is softer than a clear yes.
私は〜と思います。
I think that...
Watashi wa ~ to omoimasu.
A general pattern to express your opinion. Replace ~ with a clause, e.g., 教育は大切だ (kyōiku wa taisetsu da).
〜はどう思いますか。
What do you think about ~?
~ wa dō omoimasu ka.
Ask for someone's opinion politely. For example, 教育はどう思いますか (Kyōiku wa dō omoimasu ka) means 'What do you think about education?'
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 〜と思います (to omoimasu) is used to express your opinion politely. It follows a plain-form clause. For example, with an i-adjective: 難しい (muzukashii) → 難しいと思います (muzukashii to omoimasu) 'I think it's difficult.' With a na-adjective: 大切だ (taisetsu da) → 大切だと思います (taisetsu da to omoimasu) 'I think it's important.' With a noun + だ: 学生だ (gakusei da) → 学生だと思います (gakusei da to omoimasu) 'I think he is a student.' With a verb: 行く (iku) → 行くと思います (iku to omoimasu) 'I think I will go.' Note that と思います can be shortened to と思う (to omou) in casual speech.
When to use it
Use 〜と思います when you want to share your opinion in a polite conversation. It is softer than stating a fact directly. For example, instead of saying 教育は大切です (Kyōiku wa taisetsu desu) 'Education is important,' which sounds like a general truth, 教育は大切だと思います (Kyōiku wa taisetsu da to omoimasu) makes it clear that this is your personal view. When you want to disagree, it's common to first acknowledge the other person's opinion with なるほど、そうですね (Naruhodo, sō desu ne) 'I see, right,' and then say でも、私は〜と思います (Demo, watashi wa ~ to omoimasu) 'But I think...'. This shows respect and avoids sounding confrontational.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
教育は大切だと思いますか。
Do you think education is important?Kyōiku wa taisetsu da to omoimasu ka.はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。
Yes, I think education is very important.Hai, kyōiku wa totemo taisetsu da to omoimasu.なるほど。でも、お金も大切だと思います。
I see. But I think money is important too.Naruhodo. Demo, okane mo taisetsu da to omoimasu.そうですね。でも、私は教育の方がもっと大切だと思います。
That's true. But I think education is more important.Sō desu ne. Demo, watashi wa kyōiku no hō ga motto taisetsu da to omoimasu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese communication, expressing disagreement directly can be seen as impolite. Using 〜と思います softens your statement and shows you are sharing a personal view, not imposing it. It's common to begin with なるほど (naruhodo) or そうですね (sō desu ne) to acknowledge the other person's point before offering a different opinion. This helps maintain harmony (和, wa) and shows respect. Also, note that in formal situations, you might use 〜と考えます (to kangaemasu) instead of 〜と思います, which sounds slightly more formal and considered.
One thing to watch for
Saying 教育は大切と思います (Kyōiku wa taisetsu to omoimasu) without だ after a na-adjective.
Try this instead: Na-adjectives like 大切 (taisetsu) require だ before と思います in plain form. The correct sentence is 教育は大切だと思います (Kyōiku wa taisetsu da to omoimasu). For i-adjectives, no だ is needed: 難しいと思います (muzukashii to omoimasu).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I think Japanese is difficult' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
日本語は難しいと思います。
This uses the i-adjective 難しい (muzukashii) directly before と思います. No だ is needed. Alternatively, you could say 日本語は難しいと思う (casual).
2What is a polite way to acknowledge someone's opinion before sharing yours?
Show a sample answer
なるほど、そうですね。
This phrase means 'I see, right' and shows you are listening. Other options include そうですね (sō desu ne) or たしかに (tashika ni) 'certainly'.
3Translate: 'What do you think about education?'
Show a sample answer
教育はどう思いますか。
This uses どう思いますか (dō omoimasu ka) to ask for an opinion. You can replace 教育 with other topics.
Use 〜と思います to share your opinion politely in Japanese. Remember to add だ after na-adjectives and nouns in plain form. Acknowledge others with なるほど or そうですね before expressing a different view to maintain respect.
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