How to Say ‘I see.’ in Japanese
そうなんだ。
sou na n da
[soh nah n dah]
💬 Usage Tip: [そうなんだ] shows interest, like "oh, I see" or "is that so?" It sounds casual and friendly.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese conversation often uses small reactions like [そうなんだ], [へえ], and [なるほど] to show you are listening.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
so; that way
そう refers to something just mentioned and means 'so' or 'like that.'
そうですか。
I see. Is that so?
な
na
[nah]
become; is
な here is part of なんだ, helping form an explanatory expression.
それはへんなんです。
That is strange, you know.
ん
n
[n]
explanatory sound
ん in なんだ adds an explanatory or confirming nuance to the sentence.
そうなんですね。
Oh, I see, that's how it is.
だ
da
[dah]
is
だ is the casual form of 'is' and is often used in informal speech.
ねこだよ。
It's a cat.
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