This speaking workshop gives you active practice with a short workplace conversation in polite Japanese. You will ask whether a coworker is free on a certain day, check whether a proposed time is okay, ask when a meeting starts, and confirm the agenda. Each native line is recorded, so you can listen, repeat, and then take both roles yourself. The goal is not to memorize a long script but to build a few reliable phrases you can say out loud with confidence. Work through the sections first, then do the three tasks in order: a guided exchange, a reply choice, and a recall task where you keep the roles correct.
Asking About Availability
Start with the most useful question for planning: asking whether someone is free on a particular day. The recorded line «火曜日は空いていますか。» means "Are you available on Tuesday?" The word for Tuesday comes first, then a topic marker, then a polite form meaning "is free" or "is available." This is a safe, neutral question for a workplace. A related line, «火曜日の午後は大丈夫ですか。», means "Is Tuesday afternoon okay?" Here the speaker adds "afternoon" and uses a different phrase that checks whether a proposed time works for the other person. Both lines are questions. Listen to their recorded endings and imitate the rhythm; a rise is not a universal requirement for Japanese questions. Practice saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed. When you can say both without reading, you are ready to combine them in a short exchange.
Setting a Time and Checking the Agenda
Once a day is agreed, you often need a specific time and a clear topic. The recorded line «会議は何時からですか。» means "What time does the meeting start?" It asks for the starting point of the meeting, and kara marks that starting point. The line «議題を確認してもいいですか。» means "May I confirm the agenda?" This is a polite way to check what will be discussed. The word for agenda is a useful one to keep. In a real exchange, you might hear a full version like «では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。», which means "Then let's set it for Tuesday at 3. May I confirm the agenda?" The reply «はい、議題は新製品の計画です。» means "Yes, the agenda is the new product plan." Say these lines aloud, paying attention to the polite ending on the request. Then try saying the request and the reply back to back.
Hearing the Full Exchange
Now listen to how the pieces fit together. One speaker opens with «田中さん、火曜日は空いていますか。», which means "Tanaka-san, are you available on Tuesday?" The other speaker answers with «火曜日の午後は大丈夫です。», which means "Tuesday afternoon is okay." The first speaker then proposes a time and asks to confirm the agenda with «では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。», and the second speaker gives the topic with «はい、議題は新製品の計画です。». As you listen, track who is asking and who is answering. The first speaker is the one checking availability and proposing the plan; the second speaker is the one confirming what works and naming the agenda. When you practice, keep those roles clear. You can play the first speaker and answer yourself, or play the second speaker and ask yourself. The recording does not grade you, so use your own ears and repeat until each line feels natural.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
火曜日は空いていますか。
Are you available on Tuesday?
ka-yō-bi wa ai-te i-ma-su ka
火曜日の午後は大丈夫ですか。
Is Tuesday afternoon okay?
ka-yō-bi no go-go wa dai-jō-bu de-su ka
会議は何時からですか。
What time does the meeting start?
kai-gi wa nan-ji ka-ra de-su ka
議題を確認してもいいですか。
May I confirm the agenda?
gi-dai o ka-ku-nin shi-te mo i-i de-su ka
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
田中さん、火曜日は空いていますか。
Tanaka-san, are you available on Tuesday?火曜日の午後は大丈夫です。
Tuesday afternoon is okay.では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。
Then let's set it for Tuesday at 3. May I confirm the agenda?はい、議題は新製品の計画です。
Yes, the agenda is the new product plan.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 Tuesday
Imagine you are speaking with a coworker about scheduling a short meeting. You will play the person who asks about availability, then switch to the person who answers. Use only the recorded lines you have practiced.
Your task: As the planner, ask «火曜日は空いていますか。». As the coworker, reply «火曜日の午後は大丈夫です。». As the planner, continue with «では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。». As the coworker, answer «はい、議題は新製品の計画です。». Replay and repeat this exchange in order.
Reply Choice: Pick the Right Response
You will hear or read a prompt line, then choose the most suitable reply from the recorded options. This checks whether you understand what each line is doing in the conversation.
Your task: For prompt «田中さん、火曜日は空いていますか。», which means "Tanaka-san, are you available on Tuesday?", choose the better reply: «火曜日の午後は大丈夫です。», which means "Tuesday afternoon is okay," or «会議は何時からですか。», which means "What time does the meeting start?" Then, for prompt «では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。», which means "Then let's set it for Tuesday at 3. May I confirm the agenda?", choose the better reply: «はい、議題は新製品の計画です。», which means "Yes, the agenda is the new product plan," or «火曜日は空いていますか。», which means "Are you available on Tuesday?" Say your chosen reply out loud.
Recall and Roles: Rebuild the Conversation
This task asks you to remember the lines and keep the two roles correct. One person checks availability and proposes a plan; the other confirms what works and names the agenda.
Your task: Without looking at the lines, say the opening question from «田中さん、火曜日は空いていますか。». Then give the answer from «火曜日の午後は大丈夫です。». Next, say the proposal and agenda request from «では、火曜日の3時にしましょう。議題を確認してもいいですか。». Finally, give the agenda reply from «はい、議題は新製品の計画です。». If you forget a line, look at it, say it once, then cover it and try again.
Common questions
Do I need to understand every word in the recordings before I speak?
No. Start by listening for the overall purpose of each line, such as asking about a day, checking a time, or confirming the agenda. Then repeat the line as a whole. Understanding grows as you say the phrases out loud and connect them to the situation.
Can I use these lines outside a workplace?
These are polite forms, so they fit many situations where you check someone's availability or confirm a plan. The agenda line is most natural when there is a real topic to discuss. Adjust the day or time only if you have learned how to say it.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: schedule meetingChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's Japanese into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr