How do you say "I see." in Japanese?

"I see." in Japanese is "そうなんだ。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘I see.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "そうなんだ。" mean in English?

"そうなんだ。" means "I see." in English. Usage tip: [なんだ] here gives a feeling of realizing or understanding, so [そうなんだ。] is more natural than a flat literal "that's so." You'll hear the same pattern in [そうなんですね] as a more polite version.

そうなんだ。

sou na n da

[soh nah n dah]

💬 Usage Tip: [なんだ] here gives a feeling of realizing or understanding, so [そうなんだ。] is more natural than a flat literal "that's so." You'll hear the same pattern in [そうなんですね] as a more polite version.

🇯🇵 In Japan: [そうなんだ。] is a very common casual listening response when someone tells you something. With people you don't know well, [そうなんですね。] usually sounds safer and warmer.

Phrase Breakdown

そう

sou

[soh]

I see; really

A common response meaning I see, really, or is that so.

Example

そうなんだ。

I see.

なんだ

na n da

is that so; I see

Explains or confirms information with a casual, conversational tone.

Example

そうなんだ。

Oh, I see.

Words in this phrase

な

[nah]

part of explanatory expression

This syllable is part of なんだ, a casual explanatory expression.

Example

そうなんだ。

I see, that's how it is.

ん

[n]

part of explanatory expression

This syllable is part of なんだ, a casual explanatory expression.

Example

そうなんだ。

I see, that's how it is.

だ

[dah]

is; it is

Casual form of です used in plain speech.

Example

そうなんだ。

Oh, I see.

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