Which one should you use?
The past tense 分かりました is used to indicate the moment of comprehension, whereas the present tense 分かります (wakarimasu) describes a general ability or a state of being. For the highest level of professionalism, such as when speaking to a client, 承知いたしました (shouchi itashimashita) is used to say "I have understood/accepted."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
分かりました is a polite and straightforward way to convey understanding in Japanese. For more casual settings, you can use the informal わかったよ (wakatta yo) with friends and peers or simply 分かった (wakatta), though the latter should only be used with friends or people of lower social status.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 分かりました is in the polite past tense, where the suffix -mashita indicates a polite completed action.
How do you pronounce it?
wakarimashita
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word for 'to divide' is written with the same kanji as 'to understand' in the phrase 分かりました. The idea is that to understand something is to be able to divide or separate its parts clearly.
- The root verb 分かる (wakaru) is used for things that are 'understandable', whereas 理解する (rikai suru) is used for the intellectual process of 'comprehending' a complex concept.
- In some contexts, a simple nod of the head serves as a non-verbal 分かりました, and adding the words can actually feel redundant or overly formal.
Examples in context
- 分かりました。I understood.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 分かりました.Tatoeba #3495036 by arnab, translation #1494037 by CK
- 映画の結末、わかったよI understood the ending of the movie.
- その意味は分かりました。Sono imi wa wakarimashita.I understood the meaning of that.
Example conversation
Misaki explains the new rules to Yota at the office.
- 美咲 Misaki新しいルールを説明します。Atarashii ruru o setsumei shimasu.I will explain the new rules.
- 陽太 Yotaはい、分かりました。Hai, wakarimashita.Yes, I understood.
- 美咲 Misaki丁寧な言葉を使ってくださいね。Teinei na kotoba o tsukatte kudasai ne.Please use polite language.
- 陽太 Yota分かりました、気をつけます。Wakarimashita, ki o tsukemasu.I understood, I will be careful.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
