Formal to Acquaintance
Cultural · Communication
なるほど、そういうことですか。少し考えさせてください。 — I see, so that's how it is. Please let me think about it for a bit. (Cultural · Communication, Formal to Acquaintance, JLPT N4)
You
なるほど、そういうことですか。少し考えさせてください。
なるほど、そういうことですか。すこしかんがえさせてください。
I see, so that's how it is. Please let me think about it for a bit.
Romaji: Naruhodo, sou iu koto desu ka. Sukoshi kangaesasete kudasai. / Reply Romaji: Mochiron. Itsu goro gohenjji itadakemasu ka?
Reply
もちろん。いつ頃ご返事いただけますか？
もちろん。いつごろごへんじいただけますか？
Of course. When can we expect your reply?
Gesture & etiquette
Nod thoughtfully as you say 'naruhodo'; maintain a calm expression that communicates genuine consideration rather than evasion; state a response timeline if asked directly — vagueness beyond this point can damage trust.
なるほど' (naruhodo = I see / I understand) combined with asking for thinking time is a polite, culturally appropriate way to buy time — it validates what the other person said without committing; a useful phrase when a direct 'no' would be awkward in a Japanese social context.