Saying you do not understand

The most useful skill in this course

Many learners nod and smile when they do not understand. This feels polite. It causes problems later — a missed appointment, a task done wrongly, medicine taken incorrectly.

Asking is normal. British people ask each other to repeat things all the time. Nobody thinks you are stupid.

Ways to ask

Use different phrases for different problems.

Too fast:

• "Sorry, could you say that again more slowly?"
• "Could you repeat that, please?"

One word you do not know:

• "What does *deposit* mean?"
• "Sorry, I don't know that word."

You did not hear:

• "Sorry?"
• "Pardon?"
• "I didn't catch that."

You want to check you understood:

• "So, I need to come back on Tuesday. Is that right?"
• "Can I check — you want me to finish this today?"

The last one is the most valuable. Repeating back what you heard finds mistakes immediately, and it is what good communicators do in every language.

Ask for it in writing

For important information — dates, addresses, amounts, medicine — ask for it written down.

• "Could you write that down for me, please?"
• "Could you send me that in an email?"

This is a completely normal request. British people ask for this too.

Words that are useful

• Repeat — say again
• Spell — say the letters: "Could you spell that?"
• Confirm — make sure something is correct
• Slowly — not fast

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Check your understanding. Think of a time you did not understand and said nothing. Which phrase above would you use next time? Say it out loud three times.