How to ask "Does that make sense?"

Ryuk · 8 May 2008

The title says it all really. I just want to know, when I am practicing speaking Japanese and I want to make sure I have said something correctly, is there the Japanese equivalent of "Did that make sense?"?
The first thing that would come to mind to say would be "Wakarimashita ka" but I was wondering if there is a politer way to say this.

Also, would it be correct to use "Mou ichido itte kudasai" to ask someone to repeat themselves (equivalent to "Pardon?" in English) and could this be reduced to "Mou ichido itte" if you were speaking to someone familiar?

Many thanks

Haruspex · 8 May 2008

Wakarimashita ka sounds polite enough in my opinion. Can't think think of any politer way.

undrentide · 8 May 2008

"Wakarimashitaka" is not incorrect, but it sounds as if you're questioning the listener's comprehension ability (like "do you understand?") rather than asking if your speech makes sense.
To me "wakarimasuka" would sound better.

Elizabeth · 8 May 2008

undrentide said:
"Wakarimashitaka" is not incorrect, but it sounds as if you're questioning the listener's comprehension ability (like "do you understand?") rather than asking if your speech makes sense.
To me "wakarimasuka" would sound better.

Imi ga wakarimashitaka? I think is also very clear.

Ryuk · 8 May 2008

Arigatou gozaimashita

Elizabeth, I like that way of putting it. I will try next time I speak to my Japanese contacts

epigene · 8 May 2008

IMHO, "wakarimashitaka," whether it is combined with "imi ga" or not, is condescending toward the listener. I wouldn't use it to my friends or family unless I'm angry or am talking as a teacher to a neophyte or a child...

diceke · 9 May 2008

意味が通じますか？ imi ga tsuujimasuka?

Elizabeth · 9 May 2008

epigene said:
IMHO, "wakarimashitaka," whether it is combined with "imi ga" or not, is condescending toward the listener. I wouldn't use it to my friends or family unless I'm angry or am talking as a teacher to a neophyte or a child...

It depends a lot on the tone but personally I think it's fine from a foreign learner. No one I've ever asked about the difference has said that they thought it was condescending.

No matter what you say, though, the answer will come back :

Imi ga wakaranai...

(Imi ga/wa) wakarimashita/wakarimasu.

undrentide · 9 May 2008

Elizabeth said:
It depends a lot on the tone but personally I think it's fine from a foreign learner. No one I've ever asked about the difference has said that they thought it was condescending.

No matter what you say, though, the answer will come back :

Imi ga wakaranai...

(Imi ga/wa) wakarimashita/wakarimasu.

I agree with epigene.
As mentioned earlier, whether it is the past tense or present tense makes big difference semehow.
While "wakarimasuka" sounds like asking whether the speaker is conveying the right message, "wakarimashitaka" sounds rather angry/menacing/accusing, like "did you get it?" (are you really listening? Did you really understand?, etc.)

Maybe "it is OK from a foreign learner" but I personally think it is safe to know the politer expression to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding...

Elizabeth · 9 May 2008

undrentide said:
I agree with epigene.
As mentioned earlier, whether it is the past tense or present tense makes big difference semehow.
While "wakarimasuka" sounds like asking whether the speaker is conveying the right message, "wakarimashitaka" sounds rather angry/menacing/accusing, like "did you get it?" (are you really listening? Did you really understand?, etc.)

Maybe "it is OK from a foreign learner" but I personally think it is safe to know the politer expression to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding...

It may be safer. It may be safer. I haven't used "(chanto) wakatta (no)??" unless it was clearly in a joke or lighthearted spirit, for instance, after it was corrected to "wakarimashitaka? or wakarimasuka?"

All I meant to put out was that the people I've asked have always said there is a very subtle difference, more dependent on the situation than the words themselves so not to worry about it and that they didn't feel offended when the context was clear (ie. from anyone concerned about their unnatural grammar). Maybe because the tone I convey is always so far from accusatory....

diceke · 9 May 2008

Well, people, for the most part, are forgiving of foreign speakers giving an honest effort, so they know you may have meant something else.

"Imi ga tsujimasuka?" is like when you want to make sure if the WORD/PHRASE makes sense.

"Wakarimasuka?" is like "Does that make sense to YOU"? It's relevant to one's comprehension level or depth of knowledge.

☝

Elizabeth · 9 May 2008

diceke said:
Well, people, for the most part, are forgiving of foreign speakers giving an honest effort, so they know you may have meant something else.

Yes, of course. Native speakers are not considering when asked that a beginner is trying to indimidate them. If miscommunication happens, clearly the listener in that case is never at fault.

Elizabeth · 9 May 2008

diceke said:
意味が通じますか？ imi ga tsuujimasuka?

I don't think this is right, or at least very common at all.

Maybe you were thinking of 通じますか？通じましたか？
Do/Did I make myself clear/understandable ? Still fairly odd I think.

Anyway, 通じる isn't really specific to a particular word or phrase but more like how well the person is getting through overall.

diceke · 9 May 2008

Elizabeth said:
I don't think this is right, or at least very common at all.

Maybe you were thinking of 通じますか？通じましたか？
Do/Did I make myself clear/understandable ? Still fairly odd I think.

Anyway, 通じる isn't really specific to a particular word or phrase but more like how well the person is getting through overall.

I googled 意味が通じますか？

意味が通じますか - Google 検索

映画のDVDを友達の韓国人にあげようとおもいますが韓あ糟黷ﾌ入っているDVDを購入したいのですがis there a Korean subtitle in this dvd?で意味が通じますか？

以下の英文で意味が通じますか？またはもっとわかりやすい言い方をご教授願えますでしょうか…

アジア、北米でRaamen（ラーメン）は意味が通じますか？

1)の「わたしは彼を見た。」は、意味的に通じますよね。おそらく誰にとっても、この文は意味が通じるはずです。 2)の「わたしは彼を作った。」は、どうでしょうか。意味が通じますか。

「げんさい」「げんよう」で 意味が通じますか？

Elizabeth · 9 May 2008

diceke said:
I googled 意味が通じますか？☝

意味が通じますか - Google Search

Oh, yes. You are right. It is there. Sorry. I wasn't thinking. :sorry:

You know you need to put the phrase in quotes to get an accurate number, though, right ?

+"意味が通じますか" - Google 検索

I didn't check google, just going on what I hear every day some variation is "imi wa wakaru" constant. Some variation of
"tsuujiru" thousands of times less.

Toritoribe · 9 May 2008

the difference between 通じますか？ and 通じましたか？

通じますか？:
the form to ask if the words generally make sense or not

通じましたか？:
the form to ask if what I want to say is conveyed to you or not

自信のない表現を使ったあと、「今のは/今ので通じますか？」と聞くと「今の使い方は正しいですか？/通用しますか？」と同じ意味になり、「今のは/今ので通じましたか？」と聞くと「あなたに伝わりましたか？」と同じ意味になります。
つまり、「通じますか？」と聞かれた場合は「日本語として正しい表現かどうか」を聞かれているわけだから、表現が間違っていれば相手は例えば「こういう言い方のほうがいいですよ」という風に答えてきますし、「通じましたか？」と聞かれた場合、文法的に正しい表現じゃなくても意味が伝わってさえいれば、相手は「はい。ちゃんとわかりましたよ」という風に返事してくるでしょうね。
だからRyukさんの求める文脈だと「通じましたか？」は使えないと思います。

If I would say,

今の言い方であってますか？
Ima no iikata de attemasu ka?

今の言い方で通じますか？
Ima no iikata de tsuujimasu ka?

Elizabeth · 10 May 2008

Toritoribe said:
the difference between 通じますか？ and 通じましたか？
通じますか？:
the form to ask if the words generally make sense or not
通じましたか？:
the form to ask if what I want to say is conveyed to you or not
自信のない表現を使ったあと、「今のは/今ので通じますか？」と聞くと「今の使い方は正しいですか？/通用しますか？」と同じ意味になり、「今のは/今ので通じましたか？」と聞くと「あなたに伝わりましたか？」と同じ意味になります。
つまり、「通じますか？」と聞かれた場合は「日本語として正しい表現かどうか」を聞かれているわけだから、表現が間違っていれば相手は例えば「こういう言い方のほうがいいですよ」という風に答えてきますし、「通じましたか？」と聞かれた場合、文法的に正しい表現じゃなくても意味が伝わってさえいれば、相手は「はい。ちゃんとわかりましたよ」という風に返事してくるでしょうね。
だからRyukさんの求める文脈だと「通じましたか？」は使えないと思います。
If I would say,
今の言い方であってますか？
Ima no iikata de attemasu ka?
今の言い方で通じますか？
Ima no iikata de tsuujimasu ka?

説明してくれてありがとうございます！今は、残念ながら、その書き込みをゆっくりと読む時間がないですけど。。。まだ、「意味が通じる」という言葉も分からないのですが。。。

書いた日本人もこの表現を聞いただけで不自然というより、ちょっと変だ
といっていましたよ。もちろん、同じような感じで使われる「言葉が通じる」はとても普通ですね。

Elizabeth · 10 May 2008

Toritoribe said:
the difference between 通じますか？ and 通じましたか？
通じますか？:
the form to ask if the words generally make sense or not
通じましたか？:
the form to ask if what I want to say is conveyed to you or not
自信のない表現を使ったあと、「今のは/今ので通じますか？」と聞くと「今の使い方は正しいですか？/通用しますか？」と同じ意味になり、「今のは/今ので通じましたか？」と聞くと「あなたに伝わりましたか？」と同じ意味になります。
つまり、「通じますか？」と聞かれた場合は「日本語として正しい表現かどうか」を聞かれているわけだから、表現が間違っていれば相手は例えば「こういう言い方のほうがいいですよ」という風に答えてきますし、「通じましたか？」と聞かれた場合、文法的に正しい表現じゃなくても意味が伝わってさえいれば、相手は「はい。ちゃんとわかりましたよ」という風に返事してくるでしょうね。
だからRyukさんの求める文脈だと「通じましたか？」は使えないと思います。
If I would say,
今の言い方であってますか？
Ima no iikata de attemasu ka?
今の言い方で通じますか？
Ima no iikata de tsuujimasu ka?

良くわかっていらっしゃいます。

「通じますか」と「通じましたか」の違いは、「わかりますか」と「わかりましたか」のとほとんど同じでしょうね。その上、「わかりますか」と「わかりましたか」という二つの単語の解釈は、それが使われている文脈で決まることが出来ますね。

そして、Ryukさんの書いた文章を訂正していただく日本人だったら、「（意味は、）わかりました」、「わかります」など。。。どちらでもいえますね。

気軽な会話的表現だったら、「わかった？」を使っても良いでしょう。。。

How to ask "Does that make sense?"

Ryuk

スパ外国人

Haruspex

先輩

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Elizabeth

先輩

Ryuk

スパ外国人

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

diceke

Guest

Elizabeth

先輩

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Elizabeth

先輩

diceke

Guest

Elizabeth

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

diceke

Guest

Elizabeth

先輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Elizabeth

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

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