In this workshop you will practice expressing opinions and responding to someone else's opinion in Japanese. You will hear recorded model lines and use them to build short exchanges. The focus is on agreeing, disagreeing politely, and keeping the same topic when you answer. You can play both roles with the audio, and you can check your answers against the keys provided.
Stating and Responding to an Opinion
When you state an opinion, you can begin with a phrase that means 'I think.' The recorded line «教育は大切だと思います。» means 'I think education is important.' A short agreement is «私はそう思います。», which means 'I think so.' A softer acknowledgment is «なるほど、そうですね。», which means 'I see, right' and shows you are listening without fully agreeing. You can also introduce an opinion with «私は〜と思います。», which means 'I think that...' and then add your idea. When someone asks your opinion, a clear yes answer is «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。», which means 'Yes, I think education is very important.' Notice that the topic stays the same when you agree or disagree.
Agreeing, Then Adding a Different View
A natural exchange can move from agreement to a different opinion. The question «教育は大切だと思いますか。» means 'Do you think education is important?' The answer «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。» agrees strongly. Then the first speaker can acknowledge the answer and add another view with «なるほど。でも、お金も大切だと思います。», which means 'I see. But I think money is important too.' The second speaker can accept part of that and restate the first opinion with «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。», which means 'That's true. But I think education is more important.' In this pattern, each speaker responds to what was just said, and the topic can shift from education to money and back.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
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.
私はそう思います。
I think so.
Watashi wa sō omoimasu.
なるほど、そうですね。
I see, right.
Naruhodo, sō desu ne.
私は〜と思います。
I think that...
Watashi wa ~ to omoimasu.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
教育は大切だと思いますか。
Do you think education is important?はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。
Yes, I think education is very important.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.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.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer About Education
Two learners sit facing each other. Learner A reads the question line. Learner B reads the answer line. Then swap roles and repeat.
Your task: Learner A says «教育は大切だと思いますか。». Learner B replies with «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。». After one round, swap roles: Learner B asks «教育は大切だと思いますか。» and Learner A answers with «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。».
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Matching Response
Read the prompt line and choose the best matching reply from the three options. Then check the answer key.
Your task: Prompt: «なるほど。でも、お金も大切だと思います。». Options: (a) «私はそう思います。», (b) «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。», (c) «私は〜と思います。». Choose the option that responds to the idea about money and education.
Recall and Role Swap: Rebuild the Exchange
Cover the lines. One learner plays the person who asks about education, and the other plays the person who answers. Then swap roles.
Your task: Rebuild the exchange in order: question, answer, acknowledgment with a different view, and a reply that accepts part and restates the first opinion. Use «教育は大切だと思いますか。», «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。», «なるほど。でも、お金も大切だと思います。», and «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。» in that order.
Common questions
Can I use these lines for other topics?
The recorded lines use education and money as examples. You can practice the same pattern by reusing these recorded lines and changing only who speaks them. Do not change the recorded lines themselves or replace the topics with new words that are not in the recordings.
How do I know if my answer is correct without a teacher?
Use the answer keys in each exercise. For the guided exchange, check that you used the exact recorded lines in the correct order. For the comprehension task, the key is «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。». For the recall task, the order is «教育は大切だと思いますか。», «はい、教育はとても大切だと思います。», «なるほど。でも、お金も大切だと思います。», «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。».
Sources and further reading
- japanese: express opinions on social issuesChecked September 2026
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