Languages
Japanese Code Review Phrases: Give Feedback Politely
Code review in Japanese is tricky: a blunt comment can sound rude, and a vague one can hide a real bug. This guide gives you ready-to-use phrases to give and receive feedback politely.
Many learners know textbook Japanese but freeze in a pull request thread. The tone rules are different from everyday speech. You need soft requests, clear reasons, and humble replies.
Watching real engineers talk is one of the fastest ways to absorb this tone. With Corodomo, you can paste a YouTube link of a Japanese tech talk or dev vlog and get bilingual subtitles automatically. You can then look up words with AI and save useful phrases as flashcards straight from the subtitles.
Below you will find phrase banks, tables, and mini-tasks. Use them in your next review, even if you only practise out loud.
Practice with a real video on Corodomo
Listening · Shadowing · Dictation · Vocabulary
Open キックオフミーティング：ECサイトリニューアルプロジェクト (about 4 min): listen sentence by sentence with bilingual subtitles, shadow each line with AI pronunciation feedback, then test yourself with dictation.
- The mindset behind polite Japanese reviews
- Giving suggestions and requests
- Pointing out bugs and concerns
- Receiving feedback gracefully
- Approving, thanking, and closing threads
- How to practise these phrases
- FAQ
- Conclusion
The mindset behind polite Japanese reviews
Japanese review culture usually focuses on the code, not the person. Comments avoid "you" (あなた) almost completely. Instead of "you made a mistake", reviewers say something like "this part may be a problem".
Softeners are common. Words like ちょっと, 念のため, and かもしれません reduce the force of a comment. They do not mean the reviewer is unsure. They signal respect.
Most teams write in the polite です・ます form. Some casual teams use plain form in chat, but start polite until you see how others write. Switching to casual later is easy. The reverse is awkward.
- Drop the subject. Talk about the code, not the person.
- Add one softener per comment, not five.
- Give a reason after every request.
- Use です・ます until the team shows otherwise.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 念のため | ねんのため | just to be safe |
| かもしれません | かもしれません | might be, possibly |
| お手数ですが | おてすうですが | sorry for the trouble, but |
Giving suggestions and requests
A suggestion is the most common comment type. The safest pattern is a soft request with 〜していただけますか or a gentle proposal with 〜はいかがでしょうか. Both sound natural in written review.
Another useful pattern is 〜した方がいいかもしれません ("it might be better to..."). It is mild and works well for style or naming issues. For strong preferences, add 個人的には ("personally") so it reads as opinion.
For optional ideas, mark them clearly. Japanese teams often use nit: or (任意) to show that the author may ignore the comment. This saves a lot of friction.
- Pair each suggestion with a short reason using 〜ので or 〜ため.
- Label optional comments as 任意 or nit.
- Prefer questions to commands when you are unsure.
- Keep each comment to one idea.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 変数名を変更していただけますか。 | へんすうめいをへんこうしていただけますか | Could you rename this variable? |
| 関数を分けてはいかがでしょうか。 | かんすうをわけてはいかがでしょうか | How about splitting this function? |
| (任意)コメントを追加すると読みやすいかもしれません。 | にんい、こめんとをついかすると… | (Optional) Adding a comment might help readability. |
Pointing out bugs and concerns
Bugs need clarity without harshness. Avoid 間違っています ("this is wrong"). Say 〜の可能性があります ("there is a possibility that...") and describe the situation. This feels objective rather than personal.
Questions are a strong tool. 〜の場合はどうなりますか ("what happens in the case of...") lets the author find the bug themselves. It also works when you are not fully sure it is a bug.
For serious issues, be direct but polite. この実装だと〜という問題が起きそうです ("with this implementation, a problem like ... seems likely") is clear and still courteous.
- Describe the input or situation that triggers the problem.
- Use 可能性があります instead of 間違いです.
- Ask a "what if" question when unsure.
- Suggest a fix if you have one.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| nullの場合、エラーになる可能性があります。 | nullのばあい、えらーになるかのうせいがあります | If it is null, an error may occur. |
| 空の配列の場合はどうなりますか。 | からのはいれつのばあいはどうなりますか | What happens with an empty array? |
| この処理は競合状態が起きそうです。 | このしょりはきょうごうじょうたいがおきそうです | This process looks likely to cause a race condition. |
Receiving feedback gracefully
Receiving comments well matters as much as giving them. Start with thanks: ご指摘ありがとうございます ("thank you for pointing that out"). It is the standard opener and fits almost any comment.
Then state your action. 修正しました means "fixed". 対応しました means "addressed". If you disagree, do not say いいえ. Explain your reasoning and ask: 〜と考えたのですが、いかがでしょうか ("I thought ..., what do you think?").
If you did not understand, ask politely. 恐れ入りますが、もう少し詳しく教えていただけますか is formal and safe. Asking is better than guessing and pushing the wrong fix.
- Always open with ご指摘ありがとうございます.
- Reply with the action taken: 修正しました or 対応しました.
- Disagree by sharing your reason, then ask for opinions.
- Mention the commit if useful, so the reviewer can check fast.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご指摘ありがとうございます。修正しました。 | ごしてきありがとうございます。しゅうせいしました | Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed. |
| パフォーマンスを考慮してこの形にしました。 | ぱふぉーまんすをこうりょしてこのかたちにしました | I chose this form with performance in mind. |
| 意図が分からないので、教えていただけますか。 | いとがわからないので… | I don't understand the intent. Could you explain? |
Approving, thanking, and closing threads
Approval is short. LGTM is widely used in Japanese teams, often with です or a thank-you. A fuller version is 確認しました。問題ないと思います ("I checked it; I think there are no issues").
Positive feedback is valued too. 読みやすいです ("easy to read") or 勉強になりました ("I learned from this") builds trust. Many learners skip praise, but it helps your tone feel warm.
When closing, signal that you are done. 以上です ("that's all") or よろしくお願いします ("thank you in advance") ends a comment cleanly. The second is almost standard at the end of a review request.
- Use 確認しました when you have actually run or read the code.
- Add one specific compliment per review.
- End requests with よろしくお願いします.
- Use 承認します only if the team uses formal approval wording.
確認しました。全体的に読みやすく、勉強になりました。LGTMです。
I checked it. Overall it was easy to read and I learned from it. LGTM.
How to practise these phrases
Reading phrase lists is not enough. You need to hear the rhythm and say them aloud. Start by choosing five phrases from this article and writing your own sentences about real code you know.
Next, listen to engineers speak. Japanese dev conference talks and tech podcasts on YouTube are full of natural softeners. Load one into learn with videos and read the bilingual subtitles as you listen.
Then repeat sentence by sentence. Shadowing practice with AI pronunciation scoring, including pitch accent, helps your spoken reviews sound natural. For writing, dictation practice builds listening accuracy, and vocabulary flashcards keep new terms fresh with spaced review.
- Day 1: write five review comments in Japanese.
- Day 2: watch a short tech talk and save 5 phrases.
- Day 3: shadow those phrases aloud.
- Day 4: reply to a mock review using ご指摘ありがとうございます.
Related reading:
- Mastering Japanese Tech Interviews: Essential Coding Phrases
- IT Japanese: Pass Technical Interviews in Japanese
- Fix Katakana English: AI Accent Feedback for Japanese Learners
FAQ
Should I use keigo in code review comments?
Use polite です・ます form as a default. Full honorific keigo is common toward seniors or external parties, but daily team reviews are usually simple polite Japanese.
Can I write code review comments in English at a Japanese company?
It depends on the team. Many international teams allow English. Writing even a short Japanese thank-you line, such as ありがとうございます, is often appreciated.
What does LGTM mean in Japanese teams?
It means "looks good to me" and is used as in English. Many teams also write 問題ないです or 確認しました alongside it.
How do I disagree politely?
Explain your reason first, then ask for the reviewer's view. For example: 〜と考えたのですが、いかがでしょうか. Avoid a flat いいえ or 違います.
How can I practise these phrases without a Japanese team?
Watch Japanese tech videos, save phrases as flashcards, shadow them aloud, and speak through review scenarios with an AI partner such as speaking practice with CoroAI.
Conclusion
- Focus on the code, drop the subject, and soften comments with 念のため, かもしれません, and reasons.
- Receive feedback with ご指摘ありがとうございます, state your action, and disagree by explaining and asking.
- Practise through real videos, shadowing, and dictation so the phrases become automatic.
Keep practicing on Corodomo: Learn Japanese with videos · Practice video: キックオフミーティング：ECサイトリニューアルプロジェクト