You have learned some Japanese phrases, but when you try to speak, the words feel stuck. This page gives you a safe space to rehearse aloud. You will practise greeting someone at different times of day, introducing yourself and asking where someone is from, and inviting a friend or colleague to do something. Each exercise puts you in a realistic situation with a clear task and a follow-up turn, so you can build fluency step by step. No grammar lectures here—just speaking practice with concrete scenarios you can adapt to your own life.
Warm up your mouth and ears before you speak
Before diving into full conversations, spend two minutes warming up with the phrases from the source lesson. Start by saying the daytime greeting aloud three times, then try the morning and evening greetings. After that, say your own name followed by the supplied polite pattern, then add where you are from. Repeat this sequence twice. Keep the task focused on recalling the supplied phrases in the order you need them; leave fine pronunciation judgments to a qualified teacher or the official learning materials.
A specific way to handle the harder turn: politely declining and suggesting another time
One useful rehearsal situation is declining an invitation and offering an alternative. Start with a brief apology, give a short reason, and suggest a different day or time using the supplied polite question. For example, if someone invites you to a movie on Saturday but you are busy, say that Saturday is inconvenient and suggest another day. Treat this as a practice pattern from the linked lesson, then check the source material for the register that fits your situation.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
こんにちは
Hello / Good afternoon
kon-nee-chee-wah
おはようございます
Good morning (polite)
oh-hah-yoh go-zah-ee-mahs
こんばんは
Good evening
kon-bahn-wah
さようなら
Goodbye
sah-yoh-nah-rah
私はマリアです。
I am Maria.
wa-ta-shi wa ma-ri-a desu
私はアメリカから来ました。
I came from America. / I am from America.
wa-ta-shi wa a-me-ri-ka ka-ra ki-ma-shi-ta
お名前は何ですか。
What is your name?
o-na-ma-e wa nan desu ka
どこから来ましたか。
Where are you from? / Where did you come from?
do-ko ka-ra ki-ma-shi-ta ka
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
すみません、こんにちは。
Excuse me, hello.こんにちは。いらっしゃいませ。
Hello. Welcome.おはようございます。今日はよろしくお願いします。
Good morning. I look forward to working with you today.おはようございます。こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。
Good morning. Likewise, I look forward to working with you.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Morning greeting at the office
You arrive at your workplace at 8:45 a.m. Your manager, Mr. Tanaka, is already at his desk. You need to greet him politely before starting work.
Your task: Say the polite morning greeting aloud. Then add a phrase expressing that you look forward to working with him today. Speak clearly and with a friendly tone.
Introducing yourself at a language exchange
You are at a language exchange event. A person named Yuki approaches you and says 'Nice to meet you.' You want to introduce yourself, say where you are from, and ask where she is from.
Your task: Respond with a polite self-introduction. State your name, say you are from your country or city, and then ask Yuki where she is from. Use the polite forms you have practised.
Inviting a coworker to lunch
You want to invite your coworker, Sato-san, to have lunch together tomorrow. You are not close friends, so you need to use polite language. You also need to suggest a time.
Your task: Politely invite Sato-san to have lunch. Use the negative question form to make it sound like an invitation. Then suggest a specific time, such as 12:30, using a polite question.
Common questions
I keep mixing up the daytime and evening greetings. How can I remember which one to use?
Think of the sun. The daytime greeting is used when the sun is up, roughly from late morning until early evening. The evening greeting is used after dark. Practise by imagining a clock: if it is between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., use the daytime one; after 6 p.m., use the evening one. Say them aloud at the appropriate times of day to build the habit.
When I introduce myself, should I always say 'I am' before my name?
For beginners, it is safe and clear to include the full pattern. In casual conversation, native speakers often drop the 'I am' part and just say their name plus the polite copula. But keeping it in the beginning helps you build the habit and avoids confusion. As you get more comfortable, you can shorten it naturally.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
- japanese: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
- japanese: make plansChecked September 2026
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