What to Say When You Don't Understand Something

Learning a new language can be hard — there will be many times when you don't quite understand what someone has said. These misunderstandings can happen because of your language skills or because the other person hasn't explained themselves clearly.

How can you respond in these situations?

This time, we'll introduce short phrases you can use to tell your partner you don't know or understand something. 

Formal Phrases

I’m unclear on/about ~

English speakers often say that something is "clear" if it is understandable — just imagine a picture in your head with details that are easy to see and recognize.

If the image is unclear, however, it won't make much sense to you, which is why we use this phrase when we don't understand something.

I’m sorry, I’m unclear on this details of the project.

I’m not clear on the last thing you said.

Is anyone unclear on what we need to do today?

I’m not sure what you mean by ~

Use this phrase when there is a particular piece of information you don’t understand.

I’m not sure what you mean by “soon.” Do you need it today?

I’m not quite sure what you mean by that. Could you explain, please?

I’m (a little) confused about ~

You can simply say “I’m confused,” but it’s better to refer to something specific.

I’m confused about the last part of your presentation.

I’m a little confused about what you need us to do.

I’m (a bit) lost.

You can be "lost" anytime you're confused — not only when you don’t know which direction to go!

Honestly, I’m a little lost on our team’s goals. What should be our priority now?

I’m a bit lost. Can you explain this document to me?

Casual Phrases

The phrases we’ve introduced above are great for professional situations. The following, however, are more casual and are best in informal environments. Think of these phrases as alternatives to "I don't know."

I don’t have the foggiest idea.

As we mentioned earlier, clearness represents understanding. Fog, however, makes it difficult to see things, which is why this expression is common for expressing confusion.

I don’t have the foggiest idea what he meant by that.

This phrase is often shortened, as in the following example. 

I don’t have a clue.

This phrase expresses that you're completely confused.

I don’t have a clue where to find the information I need.

We don’t have a clue where to begin.

An even more casual expression is simply “No clue,” which is used as a response to a question.

I have no idea.

This is similar to "I have no clue."

Jasmine asked me to recommend some local restaurants, but I have no idea what to tell her.

---

Don’t look at me.

This phrase actually means “Don’t expect me to know the answer.” Just like "No clue," it's used as a response. 

Don’t forget, these expressions are very informal, so be careful where you use them!

Your guess is as good as mine.

With this phrase, the speaker is saying that they can only guess what the answer is. In other words, they know just as little as the person asking the question.

Wrap-up

Many students don't speak up when they're confused about something — and unfortunately, this often results in even more confusion later!

If you don't understand something, instead of pretending that you do, be honest and ask for more explanation — it will make things much easier for you and for the people around you. 

For more suggestions on what to say in confusing situations, read our article on 10 Ways to Politely Ask for Clarification.