プレゼンをする

Using this phrase is super simple. You just take the noun purezen and add the verb suru (to do). If you are talking to your boss, use the polite form purezen o shimasu. If you are texting a friend about your day, purezen shita (I did a presentation) works perfectly. You can even drop the particle o in casual conversation. It is a very flexible 'noun + suru' verb construction.

This is your go-to phrase for the office or university. Use it when you have a meeting with clients. Use it when you are showing your research to a professor. You can even use it at home for a laugh! Imagine telling your partner, 'I am going to give a presentation on why we need a new sofa.' It implies you have organized your thoughts and maybe even made some notes.

Don't use this for a casual chat or just telling a story. If you are just talking to someone, use hanasu (to speak). Avoid using it for formal speeches at weddings or funerals. For those, use supiichi (speech) or aisatsu (greeting). Purezen specifically suggests a goal-oriented delivery of information, often involving some kind of visual support.

In the past, Japanese business culture focused on long, written reports. Over the last few decades, the Western style of visual presentations took over. The word purezen became a staple of the 'salaryman' vocabulary in the 1990s. Today, even elementary school kids purezen o suru using tablets. It represents the shift toward more direct and visual communication in Japan.

If you want to sound very formal, use purezen o okonau. This is common in news reports or official company announcements. To talk about the preparation phase, say purezen no junbi o suru. If you are the one watching, you are purezen o kiku (listening to a presentation). If you are nervous, you might say purezen de kinchou suru (to be nervous during a presentation).