How to Speak Japanese Naturally: Intermediate Conversation Tips!

1. Introduction: Moving Beyond Beginner Japanese

Congratulations! 🎉 If you’ve completed the beginner lessons, you already know basic Japanese sentence structure, Hiragana, Katakana, and essential phrases.

Now, it’s time to move beyond textbook-style Japanese and start speaking more naturally!

2. Common Conversational Phrases

🔹 Common Reactions & Responses

Japanese	Reading	English Meaning
そうなんだ！	Sō nan da!	Oh, really? / I see!
なるほど！	Naruhodo!	I see! / That makes sense!
たしかに。	Tashika ni.	That’s true. / I agree.
へぇ〜！	Hee~!	Wow! / That’s interesting!
すごいね！	Sugoi ne!	That’s amazing!
いいね！	Ii ne!	Sounds good! / Nice!

🔹 Making Small Talk in Japanese

Japanese	Reading	English Meaning
ちょっといい？	Chotto ii?	Do you have a moment?
〇〇ってどういう意味？	○○tte dō iu imi?	What does ○○ mean?
なんて言えばいいかな？	Nante ieba ii kana?	How should I say this?
まぁまぁかな。	Mā mā kana.	It’s so-so.
どっちでもいいよ。	Docchi demo ii yo.	Either way is fine.
気にしないで！	Ki ni shinaide!	Don’t worry about it!

3. Natural Japanese: Expanding Your Sentences

Basic Sentence	Natural Expression
昨日、映画を見ました。	昨日、映画を観たんだ。
明日、東京に行きます。	明日、東京に行くの。

🔹 Common Sentence Connectors for Smooth Conversations

Japanese	Reading	Meaning
でも	Demo	But / However
だから	Dakara	So / That’s why
それで	Sore de	And then / So
けど	Kedo	Though / But
ちなみに	Chinami ni	By the way

4. Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

❌ Incorrect	✅ Correct	Explanation
ありがとうございます。	ありがとうございました。	Use past tense for completed actions.
おもしろいそう。	おもしろそう。	Drop the "い" for "〜そう" form.
日本に行きたいです。	日本へ行きたいです。	Use "へ" instead of "に" for directional movement.

5. Fun Practice: Try These Conversations!

• ✅ Try using 「〜んだ」「〜の」 in a sentence!
• ✅ Use a phrase from today’s lesson in a short conversation.
• ✅ Share your sentence in the comments for feedback!

6. Summary & What’s Next?

• ✅ How to sound more natural in Japanese
• ✅ Common conversational phrases
• ✅ Key sentence connectors & explanation forms

Next time, we’ll learn how to keep a conversation going smoothly with follow-up questions and reactions! 🚀