Is it correct to say はい in this situation? For example, let's say someone says > In English I would just simply say, "okay, sure, alright" just to tell the speaker I heard what they said. I initially thought to reply with but that doesn't feel right, it feels like is more of a confirmation than simple acknowledgement. Is the proper term to use to acknowledge this kind of statement? What other ways can I acknowledge someone said something?

would **not** be an improper or unnatural reply for that at all. Of course, it might sound more natural if you elongated the first syllable and said .

Unlike what bilingual dictionaries might say, does not always mean "yes". Instead, it is very often used to mean " **Sure, I heard ya** ", and when it is used for that meaning, the person saying may not be in agreement with the other person at all.

Other phrase choices would include:







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← slightly dialectal