EnglishClub.com : Vocabulary : Survival English : I don’t understand, do you?

I don’t understand, do you?

Don’t Pretend to Understand
Many English learners say “OK” even when they don’t understand. If you don’t understand directions, instructions, suggestions, or questions, use one of these phrases:

  • Could you repeat that?
  • Sorry, what’s your question?
  • Pardon?
  • Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
  • I missed that.
  • Would you mind repeating that?

  • Could you slow down, please? My English is not that strong.
  • Could you run that by me again?
  • I don’t get it. (I don’t understand how to do it.)
  • Would you mind spelling that for me?
  • I’m confused.
  • Sorry, I still didn’t catch that. (use after a repeated statement or question)
  • That went right over my head. (the language or concept was too difficult)
  • You lost me.(informal)
  • Say again? (very informal)

Excuses you can use:

  • I don’t speak English.
  • English is my second language.
  • I’m not from here.

    • Don’t Assume they Understand you
    Is the bus driver looking at you funny? Does the waitress look puzzled? Native English listeners sometimes pretend to understand too! Here are some phrases to use if you think your response, question, or statement was not understood:

    • Did you catch that?
    • Does that make sense?
    • Let me try that again…
    • Let me clarify…
    • What I mean is…
    • That’s not what I meant.
    • Let me put it a different way.
    • Sorry, my pronunciation may not be correct.

    Gestures to Show you (or they) Don’t Understand:

  • Shake your head slowly from side to side.
  • Lift your shoulders up.
  • Lift your shoulders up and put your arms out with your palms facing up to the sky.
  • Tip your head slightly towards the speaker. (to show you are listening carefully)
  • Wrinkle your forehead.

    • Tip: Don’t “nod” your head up and down and smile when you don’t understand. This will make others think you do understand. (Native speakers do this too.)

    Sometimes native speakers speak very quickly. This makes it difficult for learners to “catch” a question or statement. Sometimes learners use improper pronunciation. This makes it difficult for native English speakers to understand what is being said. This video offers an important tip that can improve how well others understand you:
    YouTube Preview Image

    38 Comments on “I don’t understand, do you?”

    1. Hassan says:
      7 October 2009 at 17:51

      yes i alawys experiencelike this stituation ..i say yes in the time i’d understand nothing…thnx alot..

    2. Frank DiSalle says:
      7 October 2009 at 19:01

      Another you can do is to say, “Did you mean?” or “Did you say?” , then repeating what you thought they said.
      (”Did you mean, go four blocks that way?”) or (”Did you say, Turn right at the Pepsi sign?”)

      Then they will probably try a little harder to make themselves clear.

    3. andres says:
      7 October 2009 at 23:52

      Sometimes when I’am burned out I nod my head!! hehehehe

    4. eso says:
      8 October 2009 at 11:47

      i was in this position but i understood quickly after then ….Thx about your work :D

    5. Tara Benwell says:
      8 October 2009 at 21:55

      Frank:
      Great addition, thanks!

    6. Yusman Indonesia says:
      9 October 2009 at 03:29

      thanks,…
      i have tried to understand the native speaker. but it’s difficult. If I meet them I will try what your suggest

    7. Thanh Truc says:
      10 October 2009 at 13:50

      Thanks so much.It’s helpful for me.

    8. jerry (indonesia) says:
      12 October 2009 at 11:29

      native speaker,,,,i think it’s a challenge to meet and talk with them,,,but thank you for the lesson,,
      now i know what i have to do if i don’t understand especially about what they say,,,!!!! thank you,,that’s improving my knowledge.^_^

    9. Eduardo Palacios says:
      14 October 2009 at 04:03

      Hi Frank:
      Thank you for this addition. I know what it feels to be in that possition and it’s hard to say “I don’t understand”. Don’t be shy and let people know when you really know what they are saying.

    10. thunderrr says:
      20 October 2009 at 09:46

      thanks alot for the great advices .. its verey usefull ..

      raad

    11. IFTAH KHAIRIYAH says:
      20 October 2009 at 12:31

      Yeachhhhhh….
      it is not good when we know nothing … then we said we know it…
      Tell the truth is better…

    12. haxhi says:
      20 October 2009 at 14:22

      thank you very much for the great advices

    13. Layla says:
      20 October 2009 at 15:19

      thank you for this addition.it is helpful for me

    14. Bishnu Parajuli says:
      20 October 2009 at 15:24

      It is a good lesson. I will use it in my teacher training class as one of the activities. thanks

    15. fsl says:
      20 October 2009 at 16:38

      They are helpful! Thank you.

    16. Abraham says:
      21 October 2009 at 00:56

      I actually thought I agreed with things I didn’t even understand because I was shy, but it wasn’t. I just didn’t know how to correctly and politely say “I don’t understand”.
      Thank you for the help, I appreciated it alot.

    17. KimDung says:
      21 October 2009 at 04:45

      It is a good lesson. Sametimes I also pretend to understand when my manager speaks qickly. I know that is not good. I will use it in my work. Thanks so much!

    18. abbas says:
      21 October 2009 at 07:42

      thank you so much for this lessen, please continue your way
      itd is very useful.

    19. sophia says:
      21 October 2009 at 09:17

      it is very useful for me cuz i am doing the customer service work, i need communicate with people by telephone

    20. Minh says:
      21 October 2009 at 19:58

      Thank you very much for your lesson.It is very useful for me to pronounce English words correctly

    21. José from Brazil. says:
      22 October 2009 at 03:10

      O.K. Your video was very useful to me , I learned a lot ,pronunciation and more confidence in english, all the best wish and thank you very much.

    22. rahmat88 says:
      23 October 2009 at 08:01

      before I read this,I always nod ma head although I dont undrstand th nattive speaker say..
      Now I get th lesson,we shouldn’t shy to shake head or ask smthing to speaker if dont understand..

      thanks yah…..

    23. Hanane says:
      23 October 2009 at 17:40

      so useful expressions that can be a good key to a good conversation. Being shy just complicates things and all our words in English just fly away and leave us blue.
      THANKS for the tips

    24. Pilar says:
      24 October 2009 at 01:29

      Thanks a lot for helping us. This lesson has been pretty useful for me.

    25. annika says:
      24 October 2009 at 09:53

      hi! We are sometimes too proud to admit that we dont understand what they are saying, but it is something that we should be honest in order to have a great outcome. Thanks for the tips. More power.

    26. kamel saeed says:
      25 October 2009 at 13:04

      Thank you for all what you have been offered for us .

    27. Delfina says:
      25 October 2009 at 14:56

      Thanks a lot for giving us some English lessons that we can use in daily conversations. Can you give examples of conversation in hospital and when someone needs to go to the bathroom or toilet when he/she is in his/her friend house? I thank you very much. This website is very good for the new learners of English (especially English as a second language).

    28. Jennifer(Korean) says:
      26 October 2009 at 12:05

      Thank you for lesson! I can understand, not can’t understand!

    29. samira says:
      26 October 2009 at 12:28

      thanks for your best tips

    30. Widowati says:
      27 October 2009 at 07:25

      Thanks for the tips. it’s really helpful

    31. piyarathna kandambi.Emblipitiya,Sri Lanka. says:
      28 October 2009 at 08:57

      Thanks,It’s a timely lesson.

    32. sonika rathore says:
      28 October 2009 at 13:06

      thanks for your tips.your tips are really importent for me to learn english.

    33. Mir Quasem says:
      28 October 2009 at 17:02

      This is the real picture of what actually happens.Students/learners imbibed with shyness try to escape having a taste only-which actually should have been chewed and digested following the process as depicted here.Poet Rabindra nath Tagore said,”If you close the door to restrict ‘error’-'correction’ finds no way to enter.”
      Many many thanks to the honourable contrbutor.
      Mir Quasem

    34. Bimal says:
      31 October 2009 at 18:39

      Great tips.very helpful.

    35. anjana says:
      1 November 2009 at 18:39

      Thanks for these useful informations.yes it is true people say yes or ok when they don’t understand. clarification of this misunderstanding can improve a better communication between a learner and native speaker.

    36. José Antonio says:
      5 November 2009 at 12:28

      I always say that…
      But often I lost the understanding….

      Great tips.very helpful

      Thank you all

    37. abdulhkim says:
      10 November 2009 at 04:36

      I always need someone to learn me English

    38. robert tolentino says:
      13 November 2009 at 05:07

      thanks ms. lynn for the advice on proper pronunciation. It did really helpful to me to be able to understand how the native american spaekers speak. Keep up the good work.

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