How to Say ‘Is that so?’ in Japanese
そうですか。
sou desu ka
[soh dehs]
🇯🇵 In Japan: [そうですか] is a neutral "I see / is that so," often used to acknowledge what someone said. By itself it can sound flat if you want to sound warm, so people often add an apology or thanks after it in this kind of situation.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
so / I see
In this phrase, そう expresses understanding/acknowledgment: “I see / Is that so?”
そうですか、気をつけます。
I see, I’ll be careful.
です
desu
[dehs]
to be (polite)
です makes the response polite. そうです = “That’s right / I see.”
そうです、すぐ小さくします。
Yes, I’ll turn it down right away.
そう
sou
[soh]
so / I see
In this phrase, そう expresses understanding/acknowledgment: “I see / Is that so?”
そうですか、気をつけます。
I see, I’ll be careful.
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