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How do I say, for example, the following sentence/question: "To clarify, breakfast is at 7:00am?"

I know that 明らめる and 明らかにする both have the meaning "to clarify". But I do not know if there is a more natural set phrase to use.

Also, I actually do not know how I would use the vocabulary to translate my sentence anyway. As of now, the translation I would do has multiple sentences: すみませんですが、少し分からなくて、朝ご飯のことを明らかにして頂けませんか。朝ご飯は午前７時ですね？

Denis Li
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The dictionary definitions 「明{あき}らかにする」 and 「明確{めいかく}にする」 would sound way too serious for stating/asking about breakfast times.

The most natural phrases I could think of right now would be along the lines of:

Statement: 「念{ねん}のために言{い}うと、朝食{ちょうしょく}は7時{じ}です。」

Question: 「念{ねん}のためにお聞{き}きしますが、朝食は7時ですね。」 Use a rising intonation at the end.

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    Could つまり also have the meaning "to clarify" perhaps? – G-Cam Feb 10 '17 at 19:33
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    ^ 「つまり、朝食は7時です。」「つまり、朝食は7時ですね？」とは、そういう意味では言わないと思います・・(「つまり」は普通、ほんの少し前に言われたことを確認するときに使うので)「たしか朝食は7時でしたよね？」とかならよいと思います。(ホテル・旅館の人が「たしか朝食は7時です。」とは言いませんが。) – Chocolate Feb 11 '17 at 03:36
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EDITED FROM SHOKO'S CORRECTION:

Agreeing with l'électeur; 明らめる and 明らかにする would sound highly unusual in this context, no matter how formal the situation calls for you to be. I personally learned 明らめる as "to explain," whereas a clarification as you've presented is a confirmation of a fact, not an enlightening explanation as the 明 would suggest. In your example sentence, 朝ご飯のこと also seems a little excessive for the topic, unless breakfast is a serious or complicated affair.

As FailyFeely commented, 確認する (and also 確かめる, which may remind you of 確かに, or "certainly/surely") means "to confirm" or "to verify", so try: 確認したいのですが (or just 確認ですが)、朝ご飯は午前７時ですね/か？

Using rising intonation for 'ね' is the definition of checking for agreement when you're partially but not entirely certain of something.　FailyFeely's suggestion itself works too.

Chocolate
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The Informasian
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As Faily Feely suggested, 「確認したいのですが」sounds the most natural in this sentence. You can say 「確認ですが」 too (just less formal). You can also add 「念のため」in front of either of that, but it pretty much means the same.

Also, I was born and raised in Japan but I've never used or heard the expression 「明らめる」 except in very old books. (I actually had to Google it! haha Thank you for teaching though)

Nao

Nao Sato
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