相談|そうだんsoudan[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N4approx.Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbconsultation; discussion; discussing; asking (someone) for advice
    彼女かのじょは弁護士べんごしと相談そうだんした。↗
    She conferred with her lawyer.
Conjugation
Dictionary form相談する(そうだんする)
Polite (masu)相談します(そうだんします)
Negative (nai)相談しない(そうだんしない)
polite (masen)相談しません(そうだんしません)
classical zu / nu相談せず・相談せぬ(そうだんせず・そうだんせぬ)
Past (ta)相談した(そうだんした)
polite (mashita)相談しました(そうだんしました)
Past negative (nakatta)相談しなかった(そうだんしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)相談しませんでした(そうだんしませんでした)
Te form相談して(そうだんして)
Potential相談できる(そうだんできる)
Passive相談される(そうだんされる)
Causative相談させる(そうだんさせる)
Causative passive相談させられる(そうだんさせられる)
Conditional (ba)相談すれば(そうだんすれば)
tara相談したら(そうだんしたら)
Volitional相談しよう(そうだんしよう)
polite (mashou)相談しましょう(そうだんしましょう)
Imperative相談しろ(そうだんしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym協議きょうぎFormalFormal: several parties conferring to reach an agreement, as in 「協議離婚」. 「相談」 can be one person simply asking for advice.
  • Synonym合議ごうぎFormalFormal: a group deciding jointly by pooling their views, as in 「合議制」; mostly courts and official bodies.
  • Synonym話し合いはなしあいNeutralNeutral noun: exchanging views or talking things over, as in 「話し合いで解決する」; common in speech.
  • Synonym商議しょうぎWrittenWritten prose: conferring or negotiating; very rare — in everyday speech say 「相談」.
  • Related話し合うはなしあうNeutralNeutral verb: to discuss or talk things over together; stresses two-way communication between the parties.
  • Related論議ろんぎWrittenWritten: debate and argument, as in 「論議を呼ぶ」; stresses each side voicing its own view.
  • Related議論ぎろんNeutralNeutral: discussion and debate, as in 「議論を重ねる」; stresses reasoning an issue through.
  • Related評議ひょうぎFormalFormal: deliberation within an organization or body, as in 「評議員会」.
  • Related討論とうろんNeutralNeutral: formal debate, as in 「討論会」; stresses arguments clashing.
  • Related討議とうぎWrittenWritten: discussion aimed at reaching a conclusion, as in 「議題を討議する」.
  • Related論じるろんじるWrittenWritten: to expound an argument in an orderly way, as in 「是非を論じる」; about laying out views, not conferring.
  • Related論ずるろんずるWrittenSame meaning as 「論じる」 but more bookish, common in discursive essays; expounds views rather than conferring.
  • Related談論だんろんWrittenWritten: talking and discussing; mostly in the set phrase 「談論風発」.
  • RelatedディスカッションNeutralNeutral loanword: a discussion session, common in classrooms and business.
  • Related談義だんぎCasualColloquial: an animated chat about a favorite topic, as in 「野球談義」; can also mean a tedious lecture or sermon.
  • Related諮詢しじゅんWrittenWritten: seeking opinions for reference, as in 「諮詢機関」; mostly public-office contexts.
  • RelatedコンサルテーションFormalFormal loanword: professional consultation, mainly in medicine and business.
  • Related熟議じゅくぎFormalFormal: thorough, in-depth deliberation, mostly in politics, as in 「熟議民主主義」.
  • Related議するぎするWrittenWritten: to deliberate on something, in the pattern 「〜を議する」.
  • Related議すぎすFormalFormal classical form of 「議する」; very rare — say 「話し合う」 in everyday speech.
  • Related談ずるだんずるWrittenWritten, old-fashioned: to talk over or negotiate, as in 「膝を交えて談ずる」.
  • Related論じ合うろんじあうNeutralNeutral: to argue back and forth to settle who is right, as in 「激しく論じ合う」; combative.

Default to 「相談」 for consulting someone or asking advice. Use 「話し合い」 or 「話し合う」 for exchanging views, 「協議」 for formal negotiation, 「討論」 or 「議論」 for debate, 「コンサルテーション」 for professional consultation, and 「熟議」 for in-depth deliberation. Of the rest, 「ディスカッション」 is a common neutral loanword for a discussion session and 「談義」 a colloquial word for an animated chat; most others are written or formal.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 問題もんだいを解決かいけつしたり、物事ものごとを決きめたりするために、他たの人ひとの意見いけんを聞きいたり、互たがいに意見いけんを述べ合のべあったりすること。
  2. 問題もんだいを解決かいけつしたり、物事ものごとを決きめたりするために、他たの人ひとの意見いけんを聞きいたり、互たがいに意見いけんを述べ合のべあったりする。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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