Which one should you use?
While かしこまりました is primarily used in service industries (like hotels or restaurants), 承知いたしました is a standard polite way to express agreement or understanding in business settings. Compared to the formal かしこまりました, 了解です is a much more casual way to say 'understood' and should not be used toward superiors or customers.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
かしこまりました is a highly formal and polite way to say 'certainly' or 'understood', typically used by service staff toward customers. The phrase 確かに is a direct translation of "certainly" and indicates a high level of certainty or agreement suitable for polite conversations or business.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, it functions as a completed acknowledgment of a request rather than a literal past tense.
How do you pronounce it?
kashikomarimashita
Did you know?
- The word かしこまり comes from the verb かしこまる, which literally means 'to be in a state of awe or reverence'. It suggests that the person receiving the order is so humbled by the speaker's request that they are bowing in respect.
- The polite phrase 承知いたしました utilizes a grammatical feature called 'kenjougo', which works by intentionally lowering the speaker's social status to elevate the listener.
- Using 了解しました 'understood' with a superior can be offensive because the phrase implies the speaker is in a position to acknowledge or validate a subordinate's report.
Examples in context
- かしこまりました。確認致しますので、少々お待ち頂けますか。Certainly. I will need to confirm it, however. Please wait just a moment.This sentence shows how to use かしこまりました when responding to a request while asking the listener to wait.Tatoeba #2863727 by Nekonari, translation #4368132 by corbinjurgens
- その提案は確かに素晴らしいです。That proposal is certainly excellent.
- 必ずしも賛成ではありませんが、理解はしています。I don't necessarily agree, but I understand.
- もちろん行きますよ！Of course, I will go!
- 絶対に忘れないでください。Please don't forget under any circumstances.
- そりゃもう、確かにそうだね。Well, definitely, that's true, right?
- かしこまりました。すぐに準備いたします。Kashikomarimashita. Sugu ni junbi itashimasu.Certainly. I will prepare it immediately.
Example conversation
A customer asks a hotel clerk for a late check-out.
- 結衣 Yuiチェックアウトを少し遅らせることはできますか？Chekku auto o sukoshi okuraseru koto wa dekimasu ka?Is it possible to make my check-out a little later?
- 健太 Kentaはい、かしこまりました。Hai, kashikomarimashita.Yes, certainly.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。助かります。Arigatou gozaimasu. Tasukarimasu.Thank you. That helps a lot.
- 健太 Kentaとんでもございません。ごゆっくりお過ごしください。Tondemo gozaimasen. Goyukkuri osugoshi kudasai.Not at all. Please enjoy your stay.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
