Japanese word

懇談

Pronunciation

Romajikondan

Meaning

  • nouninformal talk

Example

会議の後で、先生と懇談します。kai gi no ato de sen sei to kon dan shi ma su

I will have an informal talk with my teacher after the meeting.

Illustration for 懇談 (informal talk)

More examples

昼食会では、参加者と懇談する時間があります。chū shoku kai de wa san ka sha to kon dan su ru ji kan ga a ri ma su

There is time to have an informal talk with the participants at the luncheon.

Core concept

Refers to an informal meeting or chat whose purpose is to exchange views in a warm and approachable atmosphere.

Common phrases

  • 参加者との懇談san ka sha to no kon dan

    an informal talk with participants

  • 懇談を重ねるkon dan o kasa ne ru

    hold repeated informal talks

Similar words

歓談kandan: A pleasant and friendly conversation held in a relaxed atmosphere.
雑談zatsudan: Casual conversation about everyday matters without a fixed subject.
座談zadan: An informal group discussion in which participants exchange views openly.

Definition in Japanese

堅苦しくない雰囲気で、互いの意見や考えを話し合うこと。kata kuru shi ku na i fun i ki de taga i no i ken ya kanga e o hana shi a u ko to

Word origin

懇談 (kondan) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 懇 (kon, "earnest") and 談 (dan, "talk"), linking sincerity with conversational exchange.

Usage tips

  • The word often appears in official event names such as 懇談会 (kondankai), where it signals that discussion is intended to be cordial rather than strictly formal.

Other meanings

  • friendly chatnoun
  • informal meetingnoun

Word lists with this word