In an interview
A: Could you tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work?
B: In my early days as a leader, I tended to do all the work that should have been allocated to staff.
Although this came from a sense of responsibility, I realised that it caused delays.
So, I started to delegating tasks to my staff. This improved efficiency and boosted trust with staff.
Through this experience I have learnt my lesson about cooperation.
In this situation, what should you say ‘Through this experience I have learnt my lesson about cooperation.’ in Japanese?
Business
B：この経験を通して、協力することの大切さを学びました。
Note: This is not a word-for-word translation.
Advanced Tips
According to the Google Translation:
B：この経験を通して、私は協力について学びました。
The meaning is clear, but it’s hard to convey the idea that you have learnt something important to you.
If you’re talking about something you learned 〇〇について, adding the word 大切さ will make the meaning easier to understand.
If you just want to say “I have learnt my lesson,” you can say it like this:
いい教訓になりました
いい勉強になりました
いい人生勉強になりました
教訓 is something you have learned from a failure.
The term can also be used when you are teaching someone something important. In this case, it means ‘teachings that are aimed at learning from your own and others’ experiences and gaining knowledge and ideas that can be applied in future situations.’
勉強 is also a word used when learning school subjects, but it is often used in situations like this and is considered acceptable to use with older people.
Kotoba no Hibiki 