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How to Say ‘Understood.’ in Japanese

わかりました。

wakari mashi ta

[wah-kah-ree mah-shee ta]

💬 Usage Tip: It's past tense, but it means "I understand" right now, like "got it". Use this to acknowledge instructions, not the present-tense わかります.

Phrase Breakdown

わかり

wakari

[wah-kah-ree]

understand

Part of わかる, meaning to understand.

Example

はい、わかりました。

Yes, understood.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past marker

まし is part of the polite past form ました.

Example

働きましたのましは丁寧な過去です。

The 'mashi' in hatarakimashita is polite past.

た

ta

[ta]

past tense ending

This marks the action as completed in the past.

Example

スタッフが来ました。

The staff member came.

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