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Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "話す" vs "持って来る"

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

持って来る

もってくる (motte kuru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both 話す and 持って来る 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, 持って来る (もってくる (motte kuru)) translates to "to bring (something)" (Level: N4) and is used for A compound verb combining '持つ'. 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 "持って来る"
明日、宿題を持って来てください。
Please bring your homework tomorrow.

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.".

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