率(そっ)直(ちょく)に() sotchokuni言(い)う() iuと to、私(わたし) watashiは wa彼(かれ) kareが ga何(なに) naniを o言(い)っ()て()い()る() itteiruの noか kaなかなか nakanakaわからなかった wakaranakatta。 Frankly, I had a hard time understanding what he was saying. Literal Frankly speaking, I [topic-は] he [subject-が] what [object-を] saying [quotative-のか] quite couldn't-understand. なかなかわからなかった — なかなか + negative = 'not easily' or 'had difficulty.' 何を言っているのか is an embedded question. The speaker struggled to follow someone's speech. everyday conversation率直に言って (frankly speaking)embedded question
率(そっ)直(ちょく)に() sotchokuni言(い)う() iuと to、私(わたし) watashiは wa彼(かれ) kareが ga何(なに) naniを o言(い)っ()て()い()る() itteiruの noか kaなかなか nakanakaわからなかった wakaranakatta。 Frankly, I had a hard time understanding what he was saying. Literal Frankly speaking, I [topic-は] he [subject-が] what [object-を] saying [quotative-のか] quite couldn't-understand. なかなかわからなかった — なかなか + negative = 'not easily' or 'had difficulty.' 何を言っているのか is an embedded question. The speaker struggled to follow someone's speech. everyday conversation率直に言って (frankly speaking)embedded question