やっとわかりました
yatto wakarimashita
In Japanese, "I understand now" is translated as やっとわかりました (yatto wakarimashita).
This phrase is used to express a breakthrough or a sense of relief after you have struggled to grasp a concept or a situation. The inclusion of the word for "finally" implies that the understanding was difficult to achieve or took a significant amount of time.
Which one should you use?
The phrase やっとわかりました differs from a simple わかりました (I understood) because the addition of やっと (finally) emphasizes that the process of understanding was a challenge.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal version of the phrase, やっとわかった, utilizes the plain past tense wakatta instead of the polite wakarimashita.
How do you pronounce it?
yatto wakarimashita
Did you know?
- If you use やっとわかりました to a teacher, you might inadvertently sound like you are complaining that they were being unclear. The word やっと can carry a nuance of 'it took far too long', which might sound like a critique of the instructor's explanation.
- Japanese speakers often accompany a sudden breakthrough of understanding with a sharp intake of breath through the teeth.
- The term 納得 (nattoku) describes a specific type of understanding that comes from being logically satisfied or convinced, which is a deeper nuance than the general わかる.
Examples in context
- ああ、わかった。Oh, I understand.
- その理由がやっとわかりました。Sono riyuu ga yatto wakarimashita.I finally understand the reason for that.
- 使い方がやっとわかりました。Tsukaikata ga yatto wakarimashita.I finally understand how to use it.
Example conversation
Ren explains a complex math problem to Yui.
- 蓮 Renこの計算は少し難しいね。Kono keisan wa sukoshi muzukashii ne.This calculation is a little difficult, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiやっとわかりました！Yatto wakarimashita!I understand now!
- 蓮 Renよかった。結衣さんは賢いね。Yokatta. Yui-san wa kashikoi ne.That's good. You are smart, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんの説明のおかげです。Ren-san no setsumei no okage desu.It is thanks to Ren's explanation.
