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] means “I see” or “is that so?” Tone matters: neutral and polite here, not dramatic detective-movie surprise.
🇯🇵 In Japan: You’ll hear this a lot in service situations. It shows the speaker has received your information and is moving on.
Phrase Breakdown
そう
sou
[soh]
I see
そう here means "that is so" and often expresses understanding.
そうですか。と相手が答えます。
The other person replies, "I see."
です
desu
[dess]
is / polite ending
A polite element that makes the response formal.
そうですか。の「です」は丁寧な形です。
The "desu" in "sō desu ka" is a polite form.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
In this expression, か can sound like a soft response rather than a strong question.
そうですか。の「か」はやわらかい響きです。
The "ka" in "sō desu ka" has a soft sound.
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