How to Say ‘I see.’ in Japanese
わかりました。
wakari mashi ta
[wah-kah-ree mah-shee tah]
💬 Usage Tip: Polite acknowledgment: “Understood / I see.” Not the same as “I agree.” If agreeing, add [賛成です] or [その通りです].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese conversation uses frequent “aizuchi” (listener responses). In interviews, a few natural [わかりました] can show attentiveness.
Phrase Breakdown
わかり
wakari
[wah-kah-ree]
understanding (stem of わかる)
Stem form used in polite past: わかりました = “I understood / OK.” Useful for confirming instructions.
説明はわかりました。次のステップを教えてください。
I understood the explanation. Please tell me the next step.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite past marker (part of ました)
Part of the polite past ending ました. Attached after the verb stem to make polite past tense.
内容を確認しました。
I confirmed the contents.
た
ta
[tah]
past tense marker (part of ました)
Completes the polite past ending ました (まし + た).
承知しました。
Understood (certainly).
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