I’d like to know how to ask if someone has understood something. I’d prefer something that isn’t rude.
How do you say Do you understand in Japanese?
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How would a native Japanese speaker say it.
How would a native Japanese speaker say it.
I’d like to know how to ask if someone has understood something. I’d prefer something that isn’t rude.
・分かりますか（wakarimasu ka）
・分かる？（wakaru?）
Although “Do you understand?” could be directly translated as “理解できますか (rikai dekimasu ka)”, this phrase can come across as a bit stiff or even slightly rude in everyday conversation. Instead, Japanese speakers more commonly use “分かりますか (wakarimasu ka)” to politely ask if someone understands something. The verb “分かる” means “to understand” but can also feel more natural and less formal than using “理解 (rikai)”, which feels more like “comprehend” in English. In casual settings, you can drop the polite ending and just say “分かる？ (wakaru?)” with friends. This is much softer and closer to how people actually speak when checking if someone understands something. The key difference is that, in practice, Japanese speakers prefer the word “分かる” for these kinds of questions rather than directly translating “understand” or “know” using the verb “理解”.