English–Japanese

“broken language” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikatakoto

Example

彼は片言の日本語を話します。kare wa kata koto no nihon go o hana shi ma su

He speaks broken Japanese.

Illustration for 片言 (broken language)

How to say “broken language” in Japanese

“Broken language” in Japanese is 片言 (katakoto).

Refers to communication that gets its meaning across through fragments and simple expressions instead of fluent, fully formed language.

Full entry for 片言: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 片言

子どもは片言で自分の気持ちを伝えようとしました。ko do mo wa kata koto de ji bun no ki mo chi o tsuta e yō to shi ma shi ta

The child tried to express their feelings in halting speech.

Tips for using 片言

  • In English, broken Japanese describes limited language ability, while 片言 (katakoto) can stand alone as a noun for the speech itself.

“broken language” in other languages