Have you had a situation where you are having a conversation with someone in a foreign language, and you hear something you are not sure or don’t understand? How would you say, “please say it again”, or \u00a0“I don’t understand.” in Japanese? \u00a0or perhaps you were in Japan one day when you weren’t too comfortable with Japanese language, and a store staff started to talk to you in Japanese assuming that you spoke Japanese? How would you say “Sorry, I don’t speak Japanese.” ? Well, Let me show you various expressions that you can use for a situation like this.<\/p>\n
What?, Huh? \u3000<\/strong>-\u3000\uff25\uff1f\u3048\uff1f<\/p>\n This expression might sound a bit rude depending on how you use this, just like it might sound rude in English.<\/p>\n What was that? \u00a0<\/strong>– imano nani? \u3044\u307e\u306e\u306a\u306b\uff1f<\/p>\n This expression is also something you might want to use between close friends. You don’t want to say this too much to someone older, or who is at higher social status.<\/p>\n Excuse me but I didn’t quite get that. \u00a0<\/strong>– Sumimasen. Yoku kikitoremasendeshita. \u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u3088\u304f\u805e\u304d\u53d6\u308c\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f\u3002\uff08\u3088\u304f\u3001\u304d\u304d\u3068\u308c\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n This is a polite way of letting him\/her know that you didn’t understand.<\/p>\n Can you speak more slowly? <\/strong><\/p>\n – Mo-sukoshi yukkuri ohanasi itadakemasuka? \u3082\u3046\u5c11\u3057\u3086\u3063\u304f\u308a\u304a\u8a71\u3057\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u305b\u3093\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3082\u3046\u3059\u3053\u3057\u3086\u3063\u304f\u308a\u3000\u304a\u306f\u306a\u3057\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u305b\u3093\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n Can you speak a little louder, please?<\/strong><\/p>\n -Mo-sukoshi ookinakoede onegaishimasu. \u3082\u3046\u5c11\u3057\u3001\u5927\u304d\u306a\u58f0\u3067\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3082\u3046\u3059\u3053\u3057\u3001\u304a\u304a\u304d\u306a\u3053\u3048\u3067\u304a\u306d\u304c\u3044\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n I beg your pardon? , Would you say that again?<\/strong><\/p>\n -Mouichido itte itadakemasuka? \u3082\u3046\u4e00\u5ea6\u3001\u8a00\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3082\u3046\u3044\u3061\u3069\u3001\u3044\u3063\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n If you are new to Japanese, you might want to memorize this sentence!<\/p>\n Could you explain that again?<\/strong><\/p>\n -Mouichido setsumeishite itadaite iidesuka? \u3082\u3046\u4e00\u5ea6\u3001\u8aac\u660e\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3044\u3066\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3082\u3046\u3044\u3061\u3069\u3001\u305b\u3064\u3081\u3044\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3044\u3066\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n Excuse me but I don’t understand Japanese.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n -Moushiwakearimasen. Nihongo wa wakaranaindesu. \u7533\u3057\u8a33\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u306f\u5206\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3082\u3046\u3057\u308f\u3051\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u306b\u307b\u3093\u3054\u306f\u308f\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n Sorry\u00a0but I don’t\u00a0speak Japanese.<\/strong><\/p>\n -Gomennasai. Watashiwa nihongo o hanashimasen.\u3000\u3054\u3081\u3093\u306a\u3055\u3044\u3002\u79c1\u306f\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u3057\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff08\u3054\u3081\u3093\u306a\u3055\u3044\u3002\u308f\u305f\u3057\u306f\u3001\u306b\u307b\u3093\u3054\u3092\u306f\u306a\u3057\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n \u00a0I am not very familiar with ~.<\/strong><\/p>\n -~nitsuite amari shirimasen. \u00a0~\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u3042\u307e\u308a\u77e5\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff08\uff5e\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u3042\u307e\u308a\u3057\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n Can you give me some examples?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n -Gutairei o agete itadakemasuka? \u5177\u4f53\u4f8b\u3092\u6319\u3052\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u3050\u305f\u3044\u308c\u3044\u3092\u3042\u3052\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u3051\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n I am sorry. I can’t understand at all.<\/strong><\/p>\n -Sumimasen. Mattaku wakarimasen. \u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u5168\u304f\u5206\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff08\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u307e\u3063\u305f\u304f\u308f\u304b\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n I have collected some of the useful expressions above. Hope you found this lesson helpful. Let me know if you have any questions!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you had a situation where you are having a conversation with someone in a foreign language, and you hear something you are not sure or don’t understand? How would you say, “please say it again”, or \u00a0“I don’t understand.” in Japanese? \u00a0or perhaps you were in Japan one day when you weren’t too comfortable…<\/p>\n