Accept and Decline Invitations in Casual Japanese

Accepting an Invitation Warmly

When a friend invites you, «ぜんぜんいいよ！» means “Totally fine!” or “Sure, that works!” It is a casual, enthusiastic yes. After accepting, you can add «楽しみにしてる！», which means “I’m looking forward to it!” In the dialogue, A asks «ねえ、週末に映画を見に行かない？» — “Hey, wanna go see a movie this weekend?” B replies «ぜんぜんいいよ！楽しみにしてる！» — “Totally fine! I’m looking forward to it!” Notice that the acceptance comes first, then the excitement. Keep your tone friendly and upbeat. You do not need to add extra details; these two phrases are enough for a natural casual reply.

Declining Softly with a Reason

To decline, start with «ごめん、ちょっと…» — “Sorry, that’s a bit…” The trailing «…» softens the refusal. Then you can add a brief reason: «予定があって…» — “I have plans, so…” This leaves the sentence unfinished, which keeps the tone gentle. In the dialogue, after A suggests Saturday afternoon, B says «ごめん、ちょっと予定があって…また今度ね！» — “Sorry, I have plans, so… maybe next time!” «また今度ね» means “maybe next time.” You can use this pattern when you cannot accept. The key is to apologize, give a short reason, and leave the door open.

Putting It Together in a Short Exchange

A full casual exchange can be short. A: «ねえ、週末に映画を見に行かない？» B: «ぜんぜんいいよ！楽しみにしてる！» A: «いいね！じゃあ、土曜日の午後はどう？» B: «ごめん、ちょっと予定があって…また今度ね！» Here B first accepts the general idea, then declines the specific time. This is common: you can accept an invitation but decline a particular day. Practice both roles. When you are A, invite and suggest a time. When you are B, accept first, then decline the time with a soft reason. This helps you respond flexibly in real conversations.

Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.

Checking available voices…

Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.

Common questions