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How to Say ‘Understood.’ in Japanese

かしこまりました。

kashikomari mashi ta

[kah-shee-koh-mah-ree mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: [かしこまりました] is a very polite service expression meaning “Certainly” or “Understood.” It is more formal than [わかりました].

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is classic high-level customer service Japanese. Hearing it in hotels, restaurants, and travel counters is a good sign of polished hospitality.

Phrase Breakdown

かしこまり

kashikomari

[kah-shee-koh-mah-ree]

certainly; understood

A very polite customer-service expression meaning 'certainly' or 'I understand.' This part is the respectful stem.

Example

はい、かしこまりました。

Certainly, understood.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in かしこまりました.

Example

ご予約、かしこまりました。

Understood regarding your reservation.

ta

[tah]

past tense ending

Completes the polite past form, often used in fixed service expressions.

Example

承知いたしましたとかしこまりましたは丁寧です。

'Shouchi itashimashita' and 'kashikomarimashita' are polite.

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