Receiving critical feedback can feel uncomfortable, but in Japanese there are clear, polite phrases that show you are listening and willing to improve. This workshop gives you three short speaking tasks. You will use recorded native lines to thank someone for pointing out a problem, ask what you should do, and say you will correct it. Each task has a self-check so you can confirm your answer. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic scoring, so speak aloud and compare your words with the model lines.
Thanking and Asking for Advice
When someone points out a problem, a polite first step is to thank them. The line «ご指摘ありがとうございます。» means 'Thank you for pointing that out.' It is formal and works well with a boss or client. After thanking, you can ask for concrete advice. The line «どうすればいいですか。» means 'What should I do?' Use it when you want to know the next step. In the recorded dialogue, speaker B combines these ideas: «ご指摘ありがとうございます。どうすればもっと分かりやすくなりますか。» means 'Thank you for pointing that out. What can I do to make it easier to understand?' Notice that the question asks for a specific improvement, not just a general opinion. This keeps the conversation practical and shows you are ready to learn.
Promising to Fix or Be Careful
After you understand the problem, you can say what you will do. The line «直します。» means 'I'll correct it.' Use it when the feedback is about a specific error you can fix, such as a mistake in a document. The line «気をつけます。» means 'I'll be careful.' Use it when the issue is about future behavior or attention, not a single fixable mistake. In the recorded dialogue, speaker B says «分かりました。直します。ありがとうございます。», which means 'I understand. I'll correct it. Thank you.' This combines understanding, a promise to fix, and thanks. Choosing between «直します。» and «気をつけます。» depends on whether the feedback points to a concrete error or to general care.
Understanding the Feedback
Before you reply, make sure you understand what is being said. In the recorded dialogue, speaker A says «田中さん、この資料、少し分かりにくいですね。», which means 'Tanaka-san, this document is a bit hard to understand.' This is a polite criticism about the document, not about the person. Speaker A then gives advice: «そうですね。もう少し図を使ったほうがいいと思います。» means 'Let's see. I think it would be better to use more diagrams.' This is a suggestion, not a command. When you hear feedback like this, you can thank the person, ask for advice, and then promise to fix it. The recorded exchange shows a full, polite cycle from criticism to solution.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
ご指摘ありがとうございます。
Thank you for pointing that out.
go-shiteki arigatō gozaimasu
気をつけます。
I'll be careful. / I'll watch out for that.
ki o tsukemasu
直します。
I'll correct it.
naoshimasu
どうすればいいですか。
What should I do?
dō sureba ii desu ka
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
田中さん、この資料、少し分かりにくいですね。
Tanaka-san, this document is a bit hard to understand.ご指摘ありがとうございます。どうすればもっと分かりやすくなりますか。
Thank you for pointing that out. What can I do to make it easier to understand?そうですね。もう少し図を使ったほうがいいと思います。
Let's see. I think it would be better to use more diagrams.分かりました。直します。ありがとうございます。
I understand. I'll correct it. Thank you.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Accept and Ask
Imagine a colleague has just told you that your report is hard to read. You want to thank them politely and ask what you should do.
Your task: Speak your reply aloud. Start with the line that means 'Thank you for pointing that out.' Then add the line that means 'What should I do?' Use the recorded lines «ご指摘ありがとうございます。» and «どうすればいいですか。» in that order.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Right Promise
You hear feedback about a small mistake in a document. You can fix it right away. In another situation, you hear feedback about being more careful in general.
Your task: For the first situation, say the line that means 'I'll correct it.' For the second situation, say the line that means 'I'll be careful.' Use the recorded lines «直します。» and «気をつけます。».
Recall with Correct Roles
You will play both roles from the recorded dialogue. First you are speaker A, who gives feedback. Then you are speaker B, who accepts it.
Your task: As speaker A, say the line that means 'Tanaka-san, this document is a bit hard to understand.' As speaker B, reply with the line that means 'Thank you for pointing that out. What can I do to make it easier to understand?' Use the recorded lines «田中さん、この資料、少し分かりにくいですね。» and «ご指摘ありがとうございます。どうすればもっと分かりやすくなりますか。».
Common questions
What is the difference between the line meaning 'I'll correct it' and the line meaning 'I'll be careful'?
The line meaning 'I'll correct it' is for a specific error you can fix, such as a mistake in a document. The line meaning 'I'll be careful' is for general future behavior or attention. Use the first when there is a concrete fix, and the second when the feedback is about being more careful overall.
Can I use the polite thank-you line with a friend?
The line meaning 'Thank you for pointing that out' is formal and polite. It is safest with a boss, client, or someone you do not know well. With a close friend, a simpler thank-you may feel more natural, but the polite line is still understandable and not wrong.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: receive feedbackChecked September 2026
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