The Meaning of zatsudan [雑談] In Japanese

雑談
ざつだん
Romaji: zatsudan N5

What does 雑談 mean?

Translation and Meaning

chat, small talk, casual conversation

Definition

雑談 means casual conversation or small talk. It refers to light, casual, non-technical dialogue about a variety of topics, typically used to fill time, ease social interaction, or maintain sociability in informal settings.

Type

noun (名詞); can take the suru-verb form 雑談する

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Casual, light conversation among friends or coworkers about everyday topics.
  • Chit-chat that aims to ease social interaction rather than pursue a goal or solve a problem.
  • Non-formal talk that may occur during breaks, before/after meetings, or in online chats.

Etymology

雑ざつ = miscellaneous, mixed; 談だん = talk, conversation. When combined as 雑談, they denote talk about miscellaneous topics, giving the sense of light, casual discussion.

Composition

  • 雑: miscellaneous, mixed;
  • 談: talk, discussion;
  • Together they describe a casual, miscellaneous-topic conversation.

Usage

Used in casual and semi-formal conversation to describe light talk. In workplace or formal contexts, 雑談 is appropriate for describing brief, non-work-related chatter or passing remarks, but it is not a substitute for topic-focused or professional discussion. Typically followed by a verb like する to indicate the act of having a casual talk; it may occur during breaks, before meetings, or in online chats, and it can set a friendly tone without committing to a detailed agenda.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a cluttered desk (雑) and a speech bubble (談); when people start talking about miscellaneous things, you are engaging in 雑談.

Variations

  • おしゃべり (oshaberi) casual chatter
  • 世間話 (sekenbanashi) small talk about daily life
  • 雑談風 (zatsudan-fu) in a conversational, informal style

Example Phrases

  • 昼休み、同僚と雑談をしつつコーヒーを飲んだ。
    Hiru yasumi, dōryō to zatsudan o shitsutsu kouhii o nonda.
    During lunch break, I chatted with a coworker while drinking coffee.
    Lista:
    • 昼休み (hiruyasumi) – during lunch break
    • 同僚と (dōryō to) – with a coworker
    • 雑談をしつつ (zatsudan o shitsutsu) – while having a casual chat
    • コーヒーを (kouhii o) – coffee
    • 飲んだ (nonda) – drank
    The word is 「雑談」, meaning casual talk; here 雑談をしつつ means ‘while having a casual chat’.
雑談