Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "話す" vs "遅れる"
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
遅れる
おくれる (okureru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 話す and 遅れる 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, 遅れる (おくれる (okureru)) translates to "to be late, to be delayed" (Level: N4) and is used for Intransitive verb. Used when a person or thing is behind schedule or arrives after the set time. Can also describe a delay in progress.. 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 "遅れる"
電車が10分遅れています。
The train is 10 minutes late.
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.".