Japanese symbol for “speech”
話
はなし
Romaji: hanashi
talk; speech; chat; conversation
In Japanese, speech is 話, read はなし (hanashi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n talk; speech; chat; conversation
- n topic; subject
- n discussions; negotiation; argument
- n rumor; talk; hearsay
- n tale; story; fable
- n circumstances; particulars
Written forms: 話、話し、咄、噺. Readings: はなし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “speech”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 演説 | えんぜつ enzetsu | speech; address |
| 言論 | げんろん genron | (one's) speech; expression of views; discussion |
| 発言 | はつげん hatsugen | statement; remark; observation |
| 弁 | べん ben | speech; tongue; talk |
| 音声 | おんせい onsei | voice; speech |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 電話 | でんわ denwa | telephone call; phone call |
| 話題 | わだい wadai | topic; subject |
| 会話 | かいわ kaiwa | conversation; talk; chat |
| 対話 | たいわ taiwa | dialogue; conversation; talk |
| 世話 | せわ sewa | care; looking after; help |
| 話し合い | はなしあい hanashiai | discussion; talk; tête-à-tête |
See also: Chinese symbol for “speech”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.