Language/Japanese/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion

Japanese Grammar - Give your Opinion

Hi Japanese learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn how to give your opinion in Japanese! Sharing your thoughts and ideas is a great way to practice conversation skills and connect with others. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to share your opinions in a clear and concise way!

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Negation & Verb Conjugation.

Expressing opinions

In Japanese, there are a few ways to give your opinion depending on the situation. Here are three common expressions:

1. ~と思います (to omoimasu)

This expression is a polite way to say "I think that...". The ~と (to) particle connects the sentence with the thought.

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
皆 (みんな) と思います	Minna to omoimasu	I think everyone...
日本語 (にほんご) が難しいと思います	Nihongo ga muzukashii to omoimasu	I think Japanese is difficult.
新しいレストランが大好きと思います	Atarashii resutoran ga daisuki to omoimasu	I think I love new restaurants.

2. ~だと思う (~da to omou)

This expression is similar to the first one, but it sounds a bit more direct. The ~だ (da) ending gives a strong feeling to the sentence.

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
日本の文化は面白いだと思います	Nihon no bunka wa omoshiroi da to omou	I think Japanese culture is interesting.
私たちは成功するだと思います	Watashitachi wa seikou suru da to omou	I think we will succeed.
アメリカは大きい国だと思います	Amerika wa ookii kuni da to omou	I think America is a big country.

3. 僕(ぼく)/私(わたし)は[simple adjective]と思います

This last expression is often used to give personal opinions. For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
甘いものが好きだと思います	Amaimono ga suki da to omou	I think I like sweet food.
暑い日は嫌いだと思います	Atsui hi wa kirai da to omou	I think I don't like hot days.
海外旅行は楽しいだと思います	Kaigai ryokou wa tanoshii da to omou	I think traveling overseas is fun.

As you can see, in this last expression, we use the subject pronouns 我々 (われわれ, we) or 僕(ぼく, I) to introduce the sentence.

Agreeing or disagreeing

Now that you can give your opinion, it's also important to know how to agree or disagree with others. Here are some expressions:

• Agreeing:

- その通りです (Sono toori desu) = That's right.
- その意見に賛成です (Sono iken ni sansei desu) = I agree with that opinion.
- 同感です (Doukan desu) = I feel the same way.

• Disagreeing:

- あまり同感ではないです (Amari doukan dewa nai desu) = I don't quite feel the same.
- それは違うと思います (Sore wa chigau to omoimasu) = I think that's different.
- ごめんなさい、私は違う意見です (Gomen nasai, watashi wa chigau iken desu) = I'm sorry, but I have a different opinion.

Here's an example dialogue to help illustrate these expressions:

• Person 1: この町のラーメンは一番美味しいと思います。(Kono machi no raamen wa ichiban oishii to omoimasu) = I think the ramen in this town is the most delicious.
• Person 2: 私も同感です。(Watashi mo doukan desu) = I feel the same way.
• Person 3: ごめんなさい、私はお好み焼きが好きだと思います。(Gomen nasai, watashi wa okonomiyaki ga suki da to omou) = I'm sorry, but I think I like okonomiyaki.

Conclusion

Now that you've learned how to express your opinion and agree/disagree with others, you can use these phrases to participate in conversations with Japanese native speakers! To improve your Japanese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Adjectives (形容詞) & Particles も and しか.

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• Negation 否定
• Adjectives 形容詞
• Adjectives
• Plurals
• Questions 質問
• Conditional Mood
• How to Use Have
• Adjectives (形容詞)
• How to Use Be

Sources

• How to Say "I think" in Japanese - Giving Your Opinion - Coto ...
• Introduction – Learn Japanese