Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
雑談 (ざつだん, zatsudan) Japanese meaning: chat | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N1 › Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Conjugation 雑談する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 雑ざつ 談だん する 雑ざつ 談だん しない Polite 雑ざつ 談だん します 雑ざつ 談だん しません Past polite 雑ざつ 談だん しました 雑ざつ 談だん しませんでした Past 雑ざつ 談だん した 雑ざつ 談だん しなかった Te-form 雑ざつ 談だん して 雑ざつ 談だん しないで Desire 雑ざつ 談だん したい 雑ざつ 談だん したくない Potential 雑ざつ 談だん できる 雑ざつ 談だん できない Passive 雑ざつ 談だん される 雑ざつ 談だん されない Causative 雑ざつ 談だん させる 雑ざつ 談だん させない Causative passive 雑ざつ 談だん させられる 雑ざつ 談だん させられない Volitional 雑ざつ 談だん しよう Polite volitional 雑ざつ 談だん しましょう Imperative 雑ざつ 談だん しろ 雑ざつ 談だん するな Conditional 雑ざつ 談だん すれば 雑ざつ 談だん しなければ Tara conditional 雑ざつ 談だん したら 雑ざつ 談だん しなかったら
Report an issue with this page
前まえ
に
同どう
僚りょう
と
雑ざつ
談だん
し
た
。
I chatted with a colleague before the meeting.
Let's stop just chatting and get to work.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 と 雑ざつ 談だん する to chat with someone
I chatted with a coworker during the break.
雑ざつ 談だん に 花はな が 咲さ く for a chat to become lively and go on
The chat with my old friend really got going.
雑ざつ 談だん で 盛も り 上あ がる to get animated during small talk
We had an animated chat before the meeting started.
雑ざつ 談だん に 興きょう じる to enjoy oneself chatting
We enjoyed chatting with friends at the café.
雑ざつ 談だん を 交か わす to exchange small talk
We exchanged some light small talk in the elevator.
Related words· 10 会話 is the neutral, general word for a conversation, while 雑談 specifically means light, purposeless chatting.
世間話 refers to everyday small talk with a neighborly, gossipy feel, while 雑談 is a broader term for any casual chat.
おしゃべり is a casual, often playful word for chatting (and can imply talkativeness), while 雑談 is a more neutral term for idle conversation.
談笑 emphasizes chatting while laughing pleasantly together, whereas 雑談 just means casual talk without any particular mood implied.
Show 6 more 雑談 is everyday idle chit-chat between people, while 漫談 often refers to a more polished, sometimes performed, rambling talk or comic monologue.
雑談 is idle chit-chat in any posture or setting, while 立ち話 specifically means talking while both people are standing.
雑談 is casual chatting anywhere, while 私語 specifically refers to talking that is inappropriate or forbidden in a formal setting like a classroom.
Etymology Compound of 雑 (ざつ, 'miscellaneous') and 談 (だん, 'talk'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys 'miscellaneous talk'.
わ
N3
雑談 means idle chit-chat on no particular topic, while 日常会話 covers the practical, everyday exchanges people need for daily life, not just idle talk.
雑談 refers to casual small talk about trivial topics, while 歓談 stresses the warm, congenial feeling of the exchange.
雑談 is casual small talk about anything, while 懇談 usually happens in a specific setting (business, politics) with some purpose behind the friendly tone.
