What?

I'm not sure I'm following.

Miscommunications happen, especially in a foreign language.

What are some good English phrases you can use when you don't understand something?

Today, we're going to go over 25 phenomenally useful English phrases you can use to ask for clarification.

Either you didn't understand the words someone said, a listening comprehension issue, or you understood the words, but you don't know what they mean.

The most basic thing to say is, what?

But you can level up the politeness by adding, I'm sorry.

So you can say either, I'm sorry, what?

Or, what?

I'm sorry.

Perhaps Lieutenant Lamar could be of help.

I'm sorry, what?

You know, your mother redid the hallway bathroom.

What?

I'm sorry, what?

He's scamming you.

I know.

I'm sorry, what?

You remember how gangly he was?

I'm sorry, what?

He showed up with flowers and he apologized.

So, thank you.

I'm sorry, what?

Or you can expand this with, what'd you say?

You're asking someone to repeat themselves.

My mom's going through menopause too.

What'd you say?

Maybe next time, don't over-extend yourself.

What'd you say?

It's their store now.

What'd you say?

He picks his own drink from the bartender.

What'd you say?

Do we play darts?

What'd you say?

You can also say, what was that?

This means you didn't understand all the words that they said.

Or, what was that last word, or last phrase, last idea?

If you're not sure how someone is using a word, you can say, what exactly does mean to you?

Or, what do you mean by insert the word you're unsure of?

They're going to have to take their chances.

What does that mean exactly, take their chances?

What does feminism mean to you?

What exactly do you mean by democratizing?

This store has definitely turned my life around.

Yep, I'm off the hook now.

What do you mean by that?

You could say, could you repeat that?

Or, would you repeat that please?

Or maybe, would you mind repeating that?

We use this one when we didn't understand the words they said.

Maybe they were speaking too quickly, or they used some vocabulary that you don't know.

A question about NATO.

Unfortunately, my Spanish is no longer as good.

Can you repeat the question?

He's trying to kill me.

Would you repeat that please?

Orange County Oceanic and Orthological Organization.

Sounds like you're mumbling.

Can you repeat that?

Breaking and entering into school to retrieve some confidential and extremely personal files.

Can you repeat that?

Okay, we have spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, ravioli, rigatoni, bucatini, lasagna.

Could you repeat that?

You can ask someone to elaborate.

You understood the words they said, but you don't know what they mean.

To elaborate means to add more detail.

So you could say, can you elaborate?

Or, I think I know what you mean, but please elaborate a little.

Or, would you mind elaborating on that?

Notice, we use the preposition ON with this verb.

Ramon feels the phone is stupid.

Could you elaborate, Ramon?

He might change his mind.

And that is exactly what I don't want.

Elaborate.

It says here you were the CEO of SnapTime Industries.

Care to elaborate on that?

It's much more than that.

Could you elaborate?

The other end apparently shifts positions periodically.

Elaborate.

Another way to say understand is catch.

If you don't know what they said, you can say, I didn't catch that.

Or, sorry, I didn't catch all of that.

It's just like saying, could you repeat that please?

Your first sense, you said a word that I didn't catch.

Clear or clarity.

I feel uncertain about what you said.

Please help to make that clear for me.

I'm not sure I understand.

Please be more specific.

Could you clarify a bit?

It's a little bit confusing.

So please help me clarify if I mess this up a little bit.

For the record, do you support a duty to intervene or not?

Because that wasn't clear to me.

We need to have more clarity on this.

I'm confused about a couple of things and I just wanted you to clarify.

And one is that maybe someone is simply speaking too fast for you to catch all the words.

It's definitely appropriate to ask someone to slow down.

I waited outside the diner for two hours for you to pick me up.

Oh, okay.

Slow down.

I don't understand.

Hold on.

Slow down.

Call the fusiform gyrus, which is analyzing the whites.

What?

Slow down.

What did you just say?

A lot of people have been sort of saying, wait a minute, slow down.

What would be the effect?

You can also use the verb follow.

This implies that you understood the words, but you don't understand the meaning.

I'm not following or I'm not sure I'm following you.

Joe reversed into a submission finisher, the coquina clutch.

Okay.

I'm not sure I follow.

I've lost my train of thought.

I'm not following.

Now I'm seeing that same oddball thing in more than one person.

I'm not following.

They're the fabric of the natural world.

I'm still not following.

I think I have to break up with Dr. Ron.

Why?

Apparently, he loves me.

I'm sorry.

I'm not following.

Come again?

This is another phrase that means, please repeat yourself.

You don't understand the words they said.

Danny said his wedding.

Come again?

Feel as one Mrs. Burbank would feel for another Mrs. Burbank.

Come again?

Two men are coming to kill you.

Come again?

I don't think she ever got over those ramblers.

Come again?

Then we should have killed each other.

Come again?

I don't get it.

Use this when you don't understand the meaning of what someone is trying to say or explain.

This signals they need to explain more.

They're charging a $50 late fee?

I don't get it.

I thought you paid on time.

You're a nice looking man and all, but seriously?

I don't get it.

You created the supermajority?

I don't get it.

I don't get it.

I don't get it.

Tangent X.

Dad!

Someone poisoned Emilio before he got into the trunk.

I don't get it.

Hey!

That's it!

What?

I don't get it.

Me neither.

Or you can say, what do you mean?

What do you mean you quit your job?

I thought you loved working there.

That's actually Josh's record.

What do you mean?

The man's a mercenary.

What do you mean?

So what do you got there?

Actually, I'm not.

What do you mean?

She thinks we just fell off the turnip truck.

What do you mean?

Uh, she doesn't want to see you today.

What do you mean?

Explain.

To make plain or clear, to make known in detail.

You could say, explain that.

Or, could you please explain a bit more?

Or, could you explain that a different way?

Or, it'd help me if you could explain that please.

Explain the verb and explanation the noun.

You could say, explanation please.

Or, I'm going to need another or more explanation.

The guy without a daddy is the one with daddy issues.

Explain that logic.

Positive.

I just saw him leave about five minutes ago.

Explanation, Mr. Paris.

I think it's the same, Mike.

What?

Can you explain that to me, please?

I want an explanation, Hogan, and I want it now.

Suddenly changed her mind about the whole thing.

No explanation?

Okay, you three.

Let's see you testify.

Sir, would you mind explaining that statement, please?

Okay, now someone's told you something, and you understood the words, but you don't get what they were thinking or why they said that.

You could say, that doesn't make sense to me.

For example, I'm dreading this test.

That doesn't make sense.

You've studied hard, and you understand the material.

This can then prompt the person to explain more.

Yeah, but I have lots of anxiety about tests.

In Sheldon's spot.

That doesn't make sense.

Sheldon doesn't have a spot.

Word on the street is someone's selling off a block of his stock.

That doesn't make sense.

You could be after the VP nomination.

That doesn't make sense, though.

And forever am at work here.

That doesn't make any sense.

If Barney sets foot on Fred's property, he'll cool him.

That doesn't make sense.

This next one you can use if you don't understand, but also if you just forgot.

Tell me that again, or tell me one more time, or could you tell me that again a little slower, please?

I'm just asking, Jay.

Well, tell me again.

That it is not Sharia law.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tell me again, but slower.

In your head, was that an answer to my question?

Tell me the question again.

You didn't understand the first time.

Tell me again.

Yeah, I got it.

Tell me one more time.

If you don't understand the meaning of what someone's saying, you could ask, another way of saying that would be, or if you didn't catch all the words someone said, you can say, say that again, please?

End up in the fight against terrorism.

I'm sorry, the masks always make it hard to hear people on the way back.

Can you say that one more time?

Lungs, kidneys, and brain stopped working.

Another way of saying that would be, they didn't bring us here to change the past.

Say that again.

Is that now coalition policy?

I'm sorry, can you say that one more time?

When you don't understand someone's meaning, you can say, in other words, you can leave it at that, ask them to explain it in a different way, or you could guess their meaning.

In other words, you think this is a bad idea.

So in other words, I'm rolling out this way. Does it get very heated?

How does that work?

You know, taking cases, in other words.

We pay off premiums on these swaps until the mortgages fail.

In other words, we lose millions.

Maybe that is what's moving you.

So it's a routine of hope, in other words.

And from there, it goes right downhill.

In other words, you're not interested.

You can also say, help me understand, blank.

Help me understand what you're saying, or help me understand what you mean, or just help me out here.