Japanese word

おしゃべり

Pronunciation

Romajioshaberi

Meaning

  • nounchat

Example

友達とおしゃべりします。tomo dachi to o sha be ri shi ma su

I chat with my friends.

Illustration for おしゃべり (chat)

More examples

放課後は図書室で姉とおしゃべりを楽しみます。hō ka go wa to sho shitsu de ane to o sha be ri o tano shi mi ma su

I enjoy chatting with my sister in the library after school.

Core concept

Describes talk that flows between people, from friendly conversation to casual or unnecessary speech.

Common phrases

  • おしゃべりをするo sha be ri o su ru

    chat

  • おしゃべりが弾むo sha be ri ga hazu mu

    have a lively conversation

Similar words

会話kaiwa: A spoken exchange in which people communicate thoughts or information.
雑談zatsudan: Light conversation on ordinary topics, usually without a serious or specific aim.

Definition in Japanese

人と気軽に話をすること。また、そのような話や無駄話。hito to ki garu ni hanashi o su ru ko to ma ta so no yō na hanashi ya mu da banashi

Word origin

おしゃべり (oshaberi) combines the prefix お (o) with しゃべり (shaberi), the noun form of しゃべる (shaberu), "to talk".

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, おしゃべり (oshaberi) can describe friendly conversation or idle talk, so its tone depends on context rather than being automatically negative.

Other meanings

  • chatteringnoun
  • gossipnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word