How to Say ‘Understood.’ in Japanese
承知しました。
shouchi shi mashi ta
[shoh-chee shee mah-shee tah]
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a polite customer-service way to say "understood," so you'll often hear it from staff more than say it yourself. As a customer, [わかりました] is usually more natural unless you need especially formal business-style Japanese.
Phrase Breakdown
承知
shouchi
[shoh-chee]
understood; certainly
A polite business-like word meaning you understand and accept a request or order. Common in customer service, such as confirming a coffee order or milk preference.
アーモンドミルクですね、承知いたしました。
Almond milk, right? Certainly.
し
shi
[shee]
do; make (polite verb stem part)
This is the stem of する in the polite past form しました. It helps make the phrase sound polite when confirming an order.
ミルクなしにしました。
I made it without milk.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite ending part of 'did'
This is part of the polite past ending in ました. It appears in formal statements often used by café staff.
オーツミルクにましました、ではなく、オーツミルクにしました。
Not 'ma shita' for oat milk by itself, but 'oats milk ni shimashita.'
た
ta
[tah]
past tense ending
This is the final past-tense part of ました, used in polite completed actions or confirmations.
豆乳にした。
I chose soy milk.
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