How to Say ‘I see.’ in Japanese
そうですか。
sou desu ka
[soh dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [そうですか] shows you’ve heard and understood. Depending on tone, it can mean "I see," "Is that so?" or "Oh, really?"
🇯🇵 In Japan: You’ll hear this a lot from staff when you explain symptoms. It’s often just an acknowledgment, not surprise.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
I see; is that so
Shows understanding or acknowledgment of what someone said.
肩がつかれていますと聞いて、そうと言いました。
After hearing “My shoulders are tired,” they said, “I see.”
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite linking verb used in formal speech.
そうですかのですで、丁寧になります。
The desu in sou desu ka makes it polite.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Turns the sentence into a question.
そうですかのかで、確認の形になります。
The ka in sou desu ka makes it a confirming question.
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