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What changes, in these phrases? The change is the し for the せ. A friend told
me that the second one was better for saying _I speak little japanese_.

> 私は少し日本語を話 **し** ます。
>
> 私は少し日本語を話 **せ** ます。
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2015-07-15T22:29:14.987
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usage conjugations potential-form
少し日本語を話します and 少し日本語を話せます - What's the difference?
The second one is the **potential** form of the verb. I **can** speak a little
Japanese. Although when using the potential, が is usually preferred over を.

> 日本語 **が** 話せます

Here are some references on the potential form.

* * *

  * [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_verb_conjugation#Potential)
  * [Tae Kim's Guide](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/potential)
  * [The difference between が and を with the potential form of a verb](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/609/78)
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2015-07-15T23:06:19.413
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2017-04-13T12:43:43.857
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Just copied & pasted from [my half-year-old
answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/19733/7810) (though the question
itself isn't a duplicate):

* * *

> Though I translated 日本語を話す into "speak Japanese", the verb doesn't have "be
> able to speak" sense, so every time you have to explicitly use potential
> form when you question about ability.
>

>> 日本語が話せますか？ _Do you speak Japanese?_

>
> compared to:
>

>> 日本語を話しますか？ _Are you going to speak Japanese?_

* * *
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2015-07-15T23:10:05.307
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> 私は少し日本語を話します。

I will speak a little Japanese. (starting now)

> 私は少し日本語を話せます。

I can speak a little Japanese. (the ability to speak)

On a side note, a quick grammar fix (leaving word order as is)

私は少し日本語 **が** 話せます。
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2015-07-16T01:29:09.140
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