Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "話します" vs "出張"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
話します
はなします (hanashimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
出張
しゅっちょう (shutchō)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 話します and 出張 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
話します (はなします (hanashimasu)) represents "to speak, to talk (polite form)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 話す.
On the other hand, 出張 (しゅっちょう (shutchō)) translates to "business trip" (Level: N4) and is used for A trip taken for business purposes, often to another city or country. Used with する. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "話します"
友達と話します。
I talk with my friends.
Bilingual Sentence for "出張"
部長は来週、大阪へ出張します。
The department head will go on a business trip to Osaka next week.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "友達と ___ 。" (Meaning: "I talk with my friends.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "話します" fits here because it represents "to speak, to talk (polite form)" in the context: "I talk with my friends.".