New here? This is lesson 12 of a free 240-lesson Japanese course.
Say what? I don't understand in Japanese
Leo reaches for the old black umbrella in the stand at Kissa Hotaru. Masako stops him and says it is not that one.
He does not follow. Goro is kind from the corner booth, and Leo has to ask what the words mean.
By the end, you can say you do not understand, ask what a word means, and say how much you follow.
Keep the lines polite. Repeat and slow come next.
By the end of this lesson
Say you do not understand and ask what a word means.
- わかりません。I don't understand.
- 少ししかわかりません。I only understand a little.
- ___はどういう意味ですか。What does ___ mean?
- ___という意味ですか。Does that mean ___?
- その言葉はわかりません。I don't know that word.
- かんたんな言葉でお願いします。Simple words, please.
Scene — not that one
A wet morning at Kissa Hotaru. Leo reaches for the old black umbrella in the stand by the door. Masako looks up from the counter, ready to stop him.
From the corner booth, Goro looks up from his toast. His blend coffee is still full.
Learn — I don't understand
These six lines help when a sentence goes by too fast.
You can say you are lost, ask what a word means, and ask for simple words.
わかりません。
I don't understand.
When to use it: Say this when a line goes by and you are lost.
Learn it as one piece when you are lost.
Say it: Give the final ん its own beat.
少ししかわかりません。
I only understand a little.
When to use it: Say this when you follow some words but not the rest.
Learn it as one piece for a small amount.
___はどういう意味ですか。
What does ___ mean?
When to use it: Put the word you heard in the blank and ask.
Learn it as one piece when a word is new.
___という意味ですか。
Does that mean ___?
When to use it: Put a guess in the blank to check the meaning.
Learn it as one piece to check a guess.
その言葉はわかりません。
I don't know that word.
When to use it: Say this when one word in the line is new.
Learn it as one piece for a new word.
かんたんな言葉でお願いします。
Simple words, please.
When to use it: Say this when you want someone to use easy words.
Learn it as one piece when you need easy words.
Story — the old umbrella
Watch Leo reach for the old umbrella by mistake. He misses Masako's warning, then asks what the words mean.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Leo reaches toward the old black umbrella, thinking it is his. Masako stops him before he touches it.
Masakoそれじゃないですよ。That's not the one.
Leoすみません。Excuse me.- Leoわかりません。I don't understand.
- Goro looks up from the booth. He has not touched his coffee.
Goro大丈夫ですよ。It's all right.- Leo少ししかわかりません。I only understand a little.
- Leo「それじゃない」はどういう意味ですか。What does 'that's not it' mean?
- Goroあなたの雨具じゃないですよ。It's not your rain gear.
- Leoその言葉はわかりません。I don't know that word.
- Leoかんたんな言葉でお願いします。Simple words, please.
- Goro雨の日に使うものですよ。It's something you use on a rainy day.
- Leo傘という意味ですか。Does that mean umbrella?
- Goroはい、そうです。Yes, that's right.
Practice — lost for a moment
Eleven short exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, fill a gap, and build a line.
They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Japanese
わかりません。Drop the English here少ししかわかりません。Drop the English hereその言葉はわかりません。Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
It is morning at the kissa. Goro's explanation uses unfamiliar words. Ask him to use simple words.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I only understand a little.
少ししか____。
What do you say?
What do you say?
It is morning. Masako has stopped you at the umbrella stand. Ask what her warning means.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
その言葉はわかりません。
Swap the word
Swap the word
You do not know that word. Fix the line.
その言葉は____。
What do you say?
What do you say?
You already follow Goro. Check only that the word means umbrella.
Build the line
Build the line
Simple words, please.
。
Tap the words in order.
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
True or false?
True or false?
This line means I don't understand.
Say it — say it back
Now you are Leo at the stand. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.
Play the example first if you want to hear it. Your recording stays on your device.
- Masakoそれじゃないですよ。That's not the one.
- Leo (you)Say you do not understand.
Say you do not understand.
わかりません。
I don't understand.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Japanese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| わかりません。 | I don't understand. | |
| 少ししかわかりません。 | I only understand a little. | |
| ___はどういう意味ですか。 | What does ___ mean? | |
| ___という意味ですか。 | Does that mean ___? | |
| その言葉はわかりません。 | I don't know that word. | |
| かんたんな言葉でお願いします。 | Simple words, please. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Keep these lines handy with the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps these lines ready when a word is new.
Open Yak Cards