わかった、わかった
wakatta, wakatta
The English phrase 'ok ok' is expressed in Japanese as わかった、わかった (wakatta, wakatta).
わかった、わかった is used to show that you have understood something, but it often carries the nuance of wanting the speaker to stop repeating themselves. It is typically used when a speaker feels the listener is being repetitive or overly explanatory.
Which one should you use?
While わかった、わかった is used to dismiss a repetitive speaker, the polite form わかりました is used to show respectful acknowledgment of information. For a common way to express agreement between friends or peers, you can use 分かった (got it or I understand) or use いいよ to mean 'alright' or 'okay' in informal situations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
わかった、わかった is an informal expression. For a higher level of formality, especially when responding to orders or requests from superiors, you should use 承知しました.
How do you pronounce it?
wakatta, wakatta
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using わかった、わかった with superiors or in formal settings, as repeating the phrase can sound dismissive or impatient.
Did you know?
- The kanji used in 分かった (to understand) is the same character used in the word 'to divide' or 'to part'. This suggests the idea of the concept being 'divided' or 'parsed' clearly in the mind.
- Although it translates to 'I understand' in the present, わかった is grammatically in the past tense. This indicates that the state of understanding has already been fully achieved in the speaker's mind.
- Using わかった to respond to a boss can be seen as an act of judging them. Because it implies the listener has already reached the conclusion, it can sound as though you are evaluating whether their explanation was sufficient or not.
Examples in context
- はい、了解しました。Yes, understood.
- オーケーです。Ok, understood.
- 承知しました、お届けします。Understood, I will deliver it.
- ああ、分かった。行こう！Ah, got it. Let's go!
- いいよ、いいアイデアだね！Okay, great idea!
- わかった、わかった。もう言わないで。wakatta, wakatta. mou iwanaide.Ok ok. Stop saying it.
- わかった、わかったから大丈夫だよ。wakatta, wakatta kara daijoubu da yo.Ok ok, I've got it, so it's fine.
- わかった、わかった。後でやるね。wakatta, wakatta. ato de yaru ne.Ok ok. I'll do it later.
Example conversation
Kenta keeps reminding Yui to clean her room.
- 健太 Kenta結衣、部屋を片付けてと言ったでしょ？Yui, heya o katazukete to itta desho?Yui, I told you to clean your room, didn't I?
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、わかった。今やるよ。wakatta, wakatta. ima yaru yo.Ok ok. I'll do it now.
- 健太 Kenta本当に今すぐやってね。Hontou ni ima sugu yatte ne.Really, do it right now.
- 結衣 Yuiわかったって、健太くん。wakattatte, Kenta-kun.I said ok, Kenta.
