How to Say ‘Oh, I see.’ in Japanese
そうなんですか。
sou na n desu ka
[soh nah n dess kah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is the go-to reaction when someone tells you something new, said with a falling tone. Locals use it constantly to show they're listening.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
that way; so
Refers to what was just said by the other person.
そう言っていただけて安心しました。
Hearing you say that made me feel relieved.
な
na
[nah]
(copula before ん)
Form of だ used before explanatory ん after nouns.
休みなんです。
It's that it's a day off.
ん
n
[n]
(explanatory n)
Casual form of の; adds a tone of seeking or giving an explanation, often before です.
どうしたんですか。
What happened?
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Placed at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
A席はありますか。
Are there A seats available?
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