Asking a coworker to re-explain: Explained too fast and need them to go step by step
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Key Phrases
すみません。さっきの説明、ちょっと早かったです。最初からもう一回いいですか。
sumi mase n sakki no setsumei chotto hayakatsu ta desu saisho kara mou itsu kai ii desu ka
Sorry, that was too fast. Could you explain it again from the beginning?
次に、何をしますか。
tsugi ni nani o shi masu ka
Next, what should I do?
保存したあと、メールで送ります。
hozon shi ta ato meeru de okuri masu
After saving, send it by email.
Skills You'll Learn
Politely asking someone to repeat or slow down an explanation
相手に丁寧に「もう一度／ゆっくり」説明してもらう言い方
aite ni teinei ni mou itsu do yukkuri setsumei shi te morau ii kata
Following step-by-step procedural instructions (open → write → enter → press → save → send)
手順の指示表現を理解して実行する（開いて→書いて→入れて→押して→保存する→送る）
tejun no shiji hyougen o rikai shi te jikkou suru
Asking which part is unclear and what to do next
分からない点を確認する言い方（どこが？／迷ったら聞いてね など）
wakara nai ten o kakunin suru ii kata
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you’re in Japan getting help with a form or document. You tell the other person their explanation was too fast, ask them to start over, and they guide you step by step—open the document, write your name and date, save it, and then send it by email.
すみません、さっきの説明、ちょっと早かったです。
sumi mase n sakki no setsumei chotto hayakatsu ta desu
Excuse me, your explanation earlier was a bit too fast.
ごめんね。どこが分かりにくかった？
gomen ne doko ga wakari nikukatsu ta
Sorry. Which part was hard to understand?
最初から、もう一回いいですか。
saisho kara mou itsu kai ii desu ka
Could you go over it again from the beginning?
いいよ。まず、この書類を開いてね。
ii yo mazu kono shorui o ai te ne
Sure. First, open this document.
はい。次は何をしますか。
hai tsugi wa nani o shi masu ka
Okay. What do I do next?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
すみません
sumi mase n
Excuse me / Sorry
🇯🇵 [すみません] is very useful at work because it can mean both "excuse me" to get attention and "sorry" to soften a request. It often sounds more natural than [ごめんね] with a coworker unless you're quite close.
See breakdown →さっき
sakki
A moment ago / earlier
説明
setsumei
Explanation
ちょっと
chotto
A little
🇯🇵 At work, [ちょっと] often softens what you say rather than literally meaning "a little." In a request like asking someone to repeat themselves, it makes you sound less blunt.
See breakdown →早かった
hayakatsu ta
It was early / It was fast.
💬 [早かった] is the past form of [早い]. For [い]-adjectives, [い] changes to [かった]: [安い] → [安かった], [難しい] → [難しかった].
See breakdown →です
desu
(polite copula) is/was.
💬 After an [い]-adjective in past form, you still add [です] to make it polite: [早かったです], [難しかったです]. The politeness sits at the end of the sentence.
See breakdown →早かったです
hayakatsu ta desu
It was fast
💬 [早い] can mean both "early" and "fast," so the context decides which one is meant. In talking about an explanation, [早かったです] means it was too fast.
See breakdown →ごめんね
gomen ne
Sorry
🇯🇵 [ごめんね] is warm and casual, so it fits friends or close coworkers more than a polite workplace exchange. If you're asking a coworker to re-explain something, [すみません] is usually safer.
See breakdown →どこ
doko
Where? / Which part?
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