How to Say "I understand" in Japanese

The mistake to avoid. Learners often answer a manager or a customer with a quick 分かった. It is the plain form, so it sounds offhand. 分かりました is polite, but at work 承知しました (shōchi shimashita) sounds more professional, and かしこまりました is the choice if you serve customers. Watch the particle too: 分かる takes が, not を. Say 日本語が分かります (nihongo ga wakarimasu), I understand Japanese. Use the past form 分かりました to say you have understood what was just said, and 分かります for what you can understand in general.