Suggest Activities in Japanese: Let's and How About

Making Suggestions with 'Let's'

To suggest doing an activity together, you can use the 'let's' form of a verb. For example, «映画を見ましょう。» means 'Let's watch a movie.' Here, the verb 'to watch' changes to its 'let's' form. Similarly, «散歩に行きましょう。» means 'Let's go for a walk.' The verb 'to go' becomes its 'let's' form. Notice that the object or destination is marked by a particle. In «映画を見ましょう。», the particle 'o' marks 'movie' as the object. In «散歩に行きましょう。», the particle 'ni' marks the purpose of going. Practice saying these lines aloud, paying attention to the verb endings.

Making Softer Suggestions with 'How About'

Another way to suggest an activity is to use the pattern 'how about'. This is softer and less direct. For example, «映画はどうですか。» means 'How about a movie?' and «散歩はどうですか。» means 'How about a walk?' In these sentences, the activity noun is followed by the particle 'wa' (pronounced 'wa') and then 'dou desu ka'. This pattern is useful when you want to propose an idea without being pushy. You can replace the activity noun with other activities you know. Listen to the recordings and repeat.

Responding to Suggestions

When someone suggests an activity, you can accept or decline. In the recorded dialogue, speaker A asks if B is free today: «今日は暇ですか。». B replies that they are free and asks what they should do: «はい、暇です。何をしましょうか。». A then suggests a movie using the 'how about' pattern: «映画はどうですか。». B accepts and uses the 'let's' form to confirm: «いいですね。映画を見ましょう。». Notice how B says 'Sounds good' before agreeing. This shows enthusiasm. You can use similar phrases to respond. Practice the dialogue by playing both roles.

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