Japanese Phrases and Vocabulary for Talking About Books You Love

Register For the Online Japanese Event

Learning how to talk about your favorite books is a great way to practice Japanese vocabulary and conversation skills. Books allow you to discuss interesting topics, expand your knowledge, and find common interests with Japanese speakers.

This article will teach you key book-related terms and example sentences to help you discuss your reading preferences and recommendations.

Vocabulary for Talking About Reading

Here are some useful Japanese vocabulary words and phrases to learn related to books and reading:

書籍 (しょせき) – Shoseki – Books, publications

小説 (しょうせつ) – Shōsetsu – Novel

マンガ – Manga – Japanese comic books

読書 (どくしょ) – Dokusho – Reading

読者 (どくしゃ) – Dokusha – Reader

文学 (ぶんがく)- Bungaku – Literature

ストーリー – Sutōrī – Story

作者 (さくしゃ) – Sakusha – Author

出版社 (しゅっぱんしゃ) – Shuppansha – Publisher

ページ – Pēji – Page

章 (しょう) – Shō – Chapter

単語 (たんご) – Tango – Vocabulary

興味深い (きょうみぶかい) – Kyōmi bukai – Interesting

退屈な (たいくつな) – Taikutsuna – Boring

面白い (おもしろい) – Omoshiroi – Fun, entertaining

Describing Reading Habits in Japanese

Use these phrases to talk about your reading habits and interests:

読書が好きです。- Dokusho ga suki desu. – I like reading.

小説が好きです。- Shōsetsu ga suki desu. – I like novels.

マンガが好きです。- Manga ga suki desu. – I like manga.

よく読書をします。- Yoku dokusho wo shimasu. – I read often.

毎日読書をします。- Mainichi dokusho wo shimasu. – I read every day.

時々読書をします。- Tokidoki dokusho wo shimasu. – I sometimes read.

読書は趣味です。- Dokusho wa shumi desu. – Reading is my hobby.

Talking About Favorite Books and Genres

Discuss your favorite books, authors, and genres using the following examples:

一番好きな本は__です。 – Ichiban suki na hon wa __ desu. – My favorite book is __.

一番好きな作家は__です。- Ichiban suki na sakka wa __ desu. – My favorite author is __.

__ジャンルが好きです。- __ janru ga suki desu. – I like the __ genre.

ミステリーが好きです。- Misuterī ga suki desu. – I like mysteries.

SF(エスエフ)が好きです。- Esu efu ga suki desu. – I like science fiction.

ロマンス小説が好きです。- Romansu shōsetsu ga suki desu. – I like romance novels.

Giving Your Opinion on Books

Use these key phrases to state your opinions on books you’ve read:

この本は面白かったです。- Kono hon wa omoshirokatta desu. – This book was interesting.

すごく興味深かったです。- Sugoku kyōmi bukakatta desu. – It was very interesting.

この本は退屈でした。- Kono hon wa taikutsu deshita. – This book was boring.

ストーリーがいまいちでした。 – Sutōrī ga imaichi deshita. – The story was mediocre.

私には難しすぎました。- Watashi ni wa muzukashisugimashita. – It was too difficult for me.

Asking Questions About Books

Engage in discussion by asking and answering these book-related questions:

この本のストーリーはどうでしたか。- Kono hon no sutōrī wa dō deshita ka. – How was the story in this book?

面白かったです。- Omoshirokatta desu. – It was interesting.

この本のテーマは何ですか。- Kono hon no tēma wa nan desu ka. – What is the theme of this book?

この本の主人公は気に入りましたか。- Kono hon no shujinkō wa ki ni irimashita ka. – Did you like the protagonist of this book?

はい、とても気に入りました。-Hai, totemo ki ni irimashita. – Yes, I really liked them.

いいえ、ちょっと物足りなかったです。- Iie, chotto monotarinakatta desu. – No, I found them a bit lacking.

Making Reading Recommendations

Suggest books to others by using these key phrases:

__は面白い本だと思います。- __ wa omoshiroi hon da to omoimasu. – I think __ is an interesting book.

__は読む価値があると思います。 – __ wa yomu kachi ga aru to omoimasu. – I think __ is worth reading.

__を読むことをお勧めします。- __ wo yomu koto wo osusumeshimasu. – I recommend reading __.

ぜひ__を読んでみてください。- Zehi __ wo yonde mite kudasai. – Please give __ a read.

Useful phrases to use during the Japanese Conversation:

一番好きな本を紹介してください。-  Ichiban suki na hon wo shoukai shitekudasai. – Please introduce your favorite book

作家は誰ですか？-  Sakka wa dare desuka? – Who is the author?

どうしてその本が好きですか？-  Doushite sono hon ga suki desuka? – Why do you like the book?

どのジャンルの本ですか？- Dono janru no hon desuka? – What genre book is it?

いつ読みましたか？- Itsu yomi mashitaka? – When did you read it?

いつ出版された本ですか？- Itsu shuppan sareta hon desuka? – When was the book published?

一番最近読んだ本はなんですか？- Ichiban saikin yonda hon wa nandesuka? – What was the most recent book you read?

今、何を読んでいますか？- Ima nani o yonde imasuka? – What are you reading now?

人生を変えた本はありますか？- Jinsei o kaeta hon wa arimasuka? – Do you have any books that have changed your life?

どのジャンルの本が好きですか？- Dono janru no hon ga suki desuka? – What genre of books do you like?

日本の文学は好きですか？- Nihon no bungaku wa suki desuka? – Do you like Japanese literature?

本を読むのは好きですか？- Hon o yomu no wa suki desuka? – Do you like to read books?

家に本がいっぱいありますか？- Ie ni hon ga ippai arimasuka? – Do you have lots of books at home?

図書館に行くのは好きですか？- Toshokan ni iku no wa suki desuka? – Do you like to go to libraries?

一番好きな作家は誰ですか？- Ichiban suki na sakka wa dare desuka? – Who is your favorite author?

日本語で本を読みますか？- Nihongo de hon o yomimasuka? – Do you read books in Japanese?

小さい頃どんな本を読みましたか？- Chiisai koro donna hon o yomimashita ka? – When you were young, what kinds of books did you read?

＿＿＿＿さんの国で一番有名な作家は誰ですか？- ______ san no kuni de ichiban yuumei na sakka wa dare desuka? – Who is the most famous writer from your country?

どんな時に本を読みますか？- Donna toki ni hon o yomimasuka? – When do you usually read books?

オーディオブックを聞きますか？- Oodio bukku o kikimasuka? – Do you listen to audio books?

電子書籍と紙の本とどちらが好きですか？- Denshi shoseki to kami no hon to dochira  ga sukidesuka? – Do you prefer e-books or books in paper?

同じ本を何回も読むのが好きですか？- Onaji hon o nankai mo yomu no ga suki desuka? – Do you enjoy reading the same books over again?

漫画を読みますか？- Manga o yomimasuka? – Do you read manga?

漫画喫茶に行ったことがありますか？- Manga kissa ni itta koto ga arimasuka? – Have you ever been to a manga cafe?

本の映画化についてどう思いますか？- Hon no eigaka ni tsuite dou omoimasuka? – How do you feel about books that are turned into movies?

Whether you’re a Japanese learner wanting to improve conversational abilities or a bookworm seeking recommendations, grab a cup of tea and join us online for literary fun in Japanese!

You’ll walk away with new language skills, book inspiration, and friendships.

Conclusion

Learning vocabulary for discussing books and reading will allow you to talk about your interests, make recommendations, and have meaningful conversations in Japanese.

Start by learning key terms for genres, opinions, and questions. Practice describing your habits, favorite books, and impressions of what you’ve read.

Recommend books you enjoyed to help others find good reads. Talking about books is a fun way to improve your language skills while sharing your knowledge and passion.