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] is a neutral “I see.” Rising intonation can sound like surprise; falling intonation sounds calmer.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese listening responses (あいづち) like [そうですか] are common—use them to show attention without interrupting.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
I see / Is that so
そう signals agreement/understanding: “Oh, I see.” Often used as a listener response in interviews.
アメリカから来ましたか。そうと聞かれました。
I was asked, “Did you come from America?” and heard “I see.”
です
desu
[dess]
Am / is / are (polite)
です here makes the response polite: そうです = “That’s so / I see.”
そうですと短く返事されました。
They replied briefly, “I see.”
か
ka
[kah]
Question particle
か turns a statement into a question. In そうですか it softens the response: “Is that so?”
面接官がそうですかと相づちを打ちました。
The interviewer gave an acknowledging response, “Is that so?”
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