In everyday Japanese, responding to an invitation is not only about yes or no. You often show agreement first, then gently adjust the plan. This workshop gives you three short speaking tasks built from recorded model lines. You will hear a positive response, a soft refusal, a clear polite refusal, and a way to offer another option. You will also practice a short movie invitation exchange. Listen, repeat, and choose your role. The recordings are your pronunciation and phrasing guide, so say each line aloud before you change roles.
Warm Up: Hear the Shape of a Reply
Start by listening to the shortest responses. A positive reply can be very short and friendly. The recorded line «いいですね。» means that something sounds good, and the ending adds a sense of shared agreement. A soft negative reply is also short. The recorded line «ちょっと…。» means something is a bit difficult or inconvenient, and the trailing sound shows hesitation rather than a direct no. When you need to be clearer, use a longer polite refusal. The recorded line «すみませんが、ちょっと都合が悪いです。» means you are sorry, but the timing is a bit bad. Finally, to move the plan to another option, use the recorded pattern «～はどうですか。», which means how about something. Replace the blank with a time, place, or activity you have already learned. Say each line slowly, then at a natural speed.
Guided Exchange: Invitation and Adjustment
Now listen to a short invitation scene. Speaker A asks about going to see a movie tomorrow with the recorded line «あした、えいがを見に行きませんか。». Speaker B answers with the recorded line «いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。». Notice the order: first a positive response, then a soft hesitation about tomorrow, then a new suggestion about the day after tomorrow. Speaker A replies with the recorded line «あさってはだめです。じゃあ、しゅうまつはどうですか。», saying the day after tomorrow does not work and asking about the weekend. Speaker B finishes with the recorded line «しゅうまつはいいですね。どようびにしましょう。», accepting the weekend and suggesting Saturday. Practice the exchange in two passes. In pass one, read Speaker A and respond to the audio. In pass two, read Speaker B and let the audio be Speaker A. Keep your voice calm and friendly.
Choosing and Recalling the Right Reply
The same short phrase can do different work depending on your tone and the situation. The recorded line «いいですね。» is a clear positive response, so use it when you want to accept. The recorded line «ちょっと…。» is a soft negative response, so use it when you want to hesitate or decline gently. The recorded line «すみませんが、ちょっと都合が悪いです。» is a fuller polite refusal, so use it when you need to be clear. The recorded line «～はどうですか。» is not a full answer by itself; it redirects the conversation to a new option. In the movie scene, the speakers use these moves together. They do not stop at no. They keep the conversation open by naming another day. When you practice, decide first whether you are accepting, softening a no, or redirecting. Then choose the recorded line that matches your goal.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
いいですね。
That sounds good.
Ii desu ne.
ちょっと…。
It's a bit... (difficult).
Chotto...
すみませんが、ちょっと都合が悪いです。
I'm sorry, but it's a bit inconvenient.
Sumimasen ga, chotto tsugō ga warui desu.
～はどうですか。
How about ~?
~ wa dō desu ka.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
あした、えいがを見に行きませんか。
Would you like to go see a movie tomorrow?いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。
That sounds good. But tomorrow is a bit... How about the day after tomorrow?あさってはだめです。じゃあ、しゅうまつはどうですか。
The day after tomorrow doesn't work. Then, how about the weekend?しゅうまつはいいですね。どようびにしましょう。
The weekend sounds good. Let's make it Saturday.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Accept or Soften: Choose the Reply
You hear a suggestion from a friend. You will answer twice: once as a person who accepts, and once as a person who needs to decline gently. Use only the recorded lines you have practiced.
Your task: Listen to the audio line «あした、えいがを見に行きませんか。». For round one, respond with the recorded line «いいですね。». For round two, respond with «いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。». Say each response aloud twice. Then check yourself: round one should sound positive and agreeing, and round two should sound like partial agreement, soft hesitation, and a new suggestion.
Follow the Movie Plan: Reply Comprehension
You will hear the short movie invitation scene. Speaker A invites, and Speaker B responds. Your job is to follow the changing plan and choose the correct reply at each step.
Your task: Play the scene. When you hear «あした、えいがを見に行きませんか。», pause and choose the best reply. The best reply is «いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。» because it accepts the idea, hesitates about tomorrow, and suggests the day after tomorrow. Then listen to «あさってはだめです。じゃあ、しゅうまつはどうですか。» and notice that Speaker A says the day after tomorrow does not work and asks about the weekend. Finally, listen to «しゅうまつはいいですね。どようびにしましょう。» and notice that Speaker B accepts the weekend and suggests Saturday. Replay the scene and say Speaker B's lines with the audio.
Recall the Exchange with Correct Roles
You will now recall the movie invitation exchange without reading the lines first. Use the audio only as a model after you try. You may play both roles.
Your task: Say the exchange from memory in the correct order. Start with the invitation line «あした、えいがを見に行きませんか。». Then give Speaker B's reply «いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。». Then give Speaker A's reply «あさってはだめです。じゃあ、しゅうまつはどうですか。». Then give Speaker B's final reply «しゅうまつはいいですね。どようびにしましょう。». After your first try, play the recording and compare. If you forget a part, replay only that line and try again.
Common questions
How do I know whether to use the short soft refusal or the longer polite refusal?
Use the short recorded line «ちょっと…。» when you want to hesitate gently and the situation is casual or you want to keep the conversation soft. Use the longer recorded line «すみませんが、ちょっと都合が悪いです。» when you need to be clearer and more polite. Both are refusals, but the longer one states that the timing is inconvenient. Listen to the difference in length and tone, then choose the one that fits how direct you want to be.
What should I do if I accept the idea but not the suggested day?
You can follow the pattern in the recorded exchange. First give a positive response with «いいですね。», then add a soft hesitation about the suggested day with «ちょっと…。», and then offer another option with «～はどうですか。». In the movie scene, Speaker B does exactly this with «いいですね。でも、あしたはちょっと…。あさってはどうですか。», accepting the idea but moving the plan to the day after tomorrow. This keeps the conversation friendly while changing the details.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: responding to suggestionsChecked September 2026
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