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Questions & Answers about tomodati to hanasimasu.
What does the particle と mean in 友達と話します?
In this sentence, と marks accompaniment, so it means “with.” You’re literally saying “talk with a friend.”
Is 友達 referring to one friend or more than one?
Japanese nouns don’t change form for singular or plural. 友達 can mean “a friend” or “friends” depending on context. You’d know the number from surrounding details.
Why is there no subject like “I” at the beginning?
Japanese often omits obvious subjects. Since the speaker is talking about themselves, “I” is understood. The grammar focuses on the verb and its particles.
What form is 話します, and why use it?
話します is the polite non-past form of the verb 話す (to speak/talk). It’s used to sound respectful or formal. The plain (dictionary) form is 話す, which you’d use with friends or in casual writing.
Does 話します mean present tense or future tense?
Japanese non-past covers both present and future. 話します can mean “I talk/ I will talk” depending on context. If you add a time phrase like 明日 (tomorrow), it clearly becomes future: 明日友達と話します (“I’ll talk with my friend tomorrow”).
How do you make this sentence negative?
Change ます to ません:
友達と話しません
= “I do not talk with my friend.”
How can I say it in a more casual way?
Use the plain form 話す instead of 話します:
– Present/casual: 友達と話す (“I talk with a friend.”)
– Past/casual: 友達と話した (“I talked with a friend.”)