Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "話す" vs "とても"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
話す
はなす (hanasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
とても
とても (totemo)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 話す and とても are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
話す (はなす (hanasu)) represents "to speak, to talk" (Level: N5) and typically represents Used for verbal communication. Polite form is 話します.
On the other hand, とても (とても (totemo)) translates to "very, extremely" (Level: N4) and is used for Adverb used to emphasize the degree of an adjective or verb, meaning 'very' or 'extremely'. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "話す"
友達と日本語を話します。
I speak Japanese with my friend.
Bilingual Sentence for "とても"
このケーキはとても美味しいです。
This cake is very delicious.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "友達と日本語を話します。" (Meaning: "I speak Japanese with my friend.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "話す" fits here because it represents "to speak, to talk" in the context: "I speak Japanese with my friend.".