Japanese - Conversation Repair

そういう意味じゃないです。

Sō iu imi ja nai desu.

That's not what I meant.

Meaning: That's not what I meant.

When to use: Use this politely when the other person misunderstands your intention. You can also say the more formal 「そういう意味ではありません」.

Tip: Saying it too bluntly; beginners sometimes omit the polite です and sound abrupt.

間違っていたら、直してください。

Machigatte itara, naoshite kudasai.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Meaning: Please correct me if I'm wrong.

When to use: Use this before or after you speak to invite correction. 「直してください」 is natural in conversation.

もう少し大きな声で話してもらえますか？

Mō sukoshi ōkina koe de hanashite moraemasu ka?

Can you speak up a little?

Meaning: Can you speak up a little?

When to use: Ask this when someone speaks too quietly to hear. For extra politeness, use 「話していただけますか」.

よく聞こえません。

Yoku kikoemasen.

I can't hear you well.

Meaning: I can't hear you well.

When to use: Use this on the phone, online, or in person when audio isn't clear. Casual: 「よく聞こえない」.

接続が悪いみたいです。

Setsuzoku ga warui mitai desu.

The connection is bad.

Meaning: The connection is bad.

When to use: Say this during online or phone calls to explain audio/video problems. For mobile, people often say 「電波が悪いみたいです」 instead.

最後のところが聞き取れませんでした。

Saigo no tokoro ga kikitoremasen deshita.

I missed the last part.

Meaning: I missed the last part.

When to use: Use this when only the end of the message wasn't heard. 「最後の部分」も言えます。

最後の言葉は何でしたか？

Saigo no kotoba wa nan deshita ka?

What was the last word?

Meaning: What was the last word?

When to use: Use this when you only need to confirm a single unclear word. 「最後の単語は何でしたか？」も自然です。

___って、どういう意味ですか？

___ tte, dō iu imi desu ka?

What do you mean by ___?

Meaning: What do you mean by ___?

When to use: Put the word or short phrase in the blank followed by 「って」. For more formality: 「___とは、どういう意味ですか？」

Tip: Forgetting to include the target word before って, which makes the question unclear.

___について、よく分かりません。

___ ni tsuite, yoku wakarimasen.

I'm confused about ___.

Meaning: I'm confused about ___.

When to use: Insert a noun or topic into the blank. For a single word, you can also say 「___がよく分かりません」.

この言葉で合っていますか？

Kono kotoba de atte imasu ka?

Is this the right word?

Meaning: Is this the right word?

When to use: Use this to check if the word you chose is correct. 「この単語で合っていますか？」 also works.

どれのことですか？

Dore no koto desu ka?

Which one do you mean?

Meaning: Which one do you mean?

When to use: Ask this when clarifying which thing or choice is meant. For people, say 「どの人のことですか？」.

すみません、一瞬聞こえませんでした。

Sumimasen, isshun kikoemasen deshita.

Sorry, I lost you for a moment.

Meaning: Sorry, I lost you for a moment.

When to use: Use this when you temporarily couldn't hear the speaker during a call or conversation. It's natural to follow with 「もう一度お願いします」.