How to say

I don't understand

50 languages. Same English phrase, each row is the natural translation for that language. Tap Play to hear a Fluente voice, or Practise to listen, repeat and score.

Amharic አማርኛ am

አልገባኝም

Al-ga-BAY-yim

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Arabic العربية ar

لا أفهم

La ah-FHAM

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding in formal Arabic; in colloquial Arabic, the informal version is more common.

Bangla বাংলা bn

আমি বুঝি না

Aa-mee boo-JHEE na

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Catalan català ca

No ho entenc

No o en-TENK

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Czech čeština cs

Nerozumím

Ne-ro-zoo-MEEM

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Danish dansk da

Jeg forstår ikke

Yay for-SHTO-er ik-ke

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding; 'Jeg fatter ikke' is more casual.

—

German Deutsch de

Ich verstehe nicht

Ich fer-SHTAY nicht

Use this phrase when you don't understand something, whether it's a word, a sentence, or a concept.

Greek Ελληνικά el

Δεν καταλαβαίνω

Then ka-ta-la-VE-no

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Spanish Español es

No entiendo

No en-TYEN-do

Use this phrase in any situation where you don't grasp something, from a simple instruction to a complex concept.

Estonian eesti et

Ma ei saa aru

Ma ay saa a-roo

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Basque Basque eu

Ez dut ulertzen

Ez dut oo-ler-TSEN

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Persian فارسی fa

من نمی فهمم

Man ne-mi-fah-mam

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Finnish suomi fi

En ymmärrä

En um-MA-ra

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

French Français fr

Je ne comprends pas

Je ne kom-PRON pa

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding in French.

Galician Galician gl

Non entendo

Non en-TEN-do

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Gujarati ગુજરાતી gu

મને સમજાતું નથી

Ma-ne su-ma-ja-tu na-thee

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Hausa Hausa ha

Ban gane

Ban ga-NEH

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Hebrew עברית he

אני לא מבין/מבינה

Ah-nee lo me-veen/me-vee-NAH

Use 'mevin' for males and 'mevina' for females.

Hindi हिन्दी hi

मुझे समझ नहीं आता

Moo-JEH su-MAJ-nah-hee aa-TAA

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

Hungarian magyar hu

Nem értem

Nem AIR-tem

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Indonesian Indonesia id

Saya tidak mengerti

Sa-ya ti-dak men-ger-ti

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Icelandic Icelandic is

Ég skil ekki

Yeg skil ek-ki

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding; 'Ég fatta ekki' is more casual.

—

Italian Italiano it

Non capisco

Non ka-PEE-sko

This is a common and polite way to express that you don't understand.

Japanese 日本語 ja

分かりません

Wa-ka-ri-ma-sen

This is the polite form; 'Wakaranai' is more casual.

Korean 한국어 ko

이해 못 해요

Ee-hae mot hae-yo

Use 'Ihae mot haeyo' in most situations; 'Ihae mot hamnida' is more formal, and 'Ihae mot hae' is informal.

Lithuanian lietuvių lt

Aš nesuprantu

Ash ne-soo-PRAN-too

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Latvian latviešu lv

Es nesaprotu

Es ne-sa-PRO-too

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Marathi मराठी mr

मला समजत नाही

Ma-laa su-ma-ja-ta naa-hee

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Malay Melayu ms

Saya tidak faham

Sa-ya ti-dak fa-ham

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Dutch Nederlands nl

Ik begrijp het niet

Ik be-GRAYP het neet

Use this phrase when you don't understand something.

Norwegian norsk no

Jeg forstår ikke

Yay for-SHTO-er ik-ke

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding; 'Jeg skjønner ikke' is more casual.

—

Punjabi ਪੰਜਾਬੀ pa

ਮੈਨੂੰ ਸਮਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਂਦਾ

Mai-nu su-maj na-hee aun-da

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Polish polski pl

Nie rozumiem

Nye ro-ZOO-myem

This is a common and polite way to express that you don't understand.

Portuguese Português pt

Eu não entendo

Eu now en-TEN-doo

A standard and versatile phrase for expressing lack of understanding.

Romanian română ro

Nu înțeleg

Noon un-tse-LEG

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Russian русский ru

Я не понимаю

Ya nye pa-nee-MA-yu

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

Swedish svenska sv

Jag förstår inte

Yag fur-SHTO-or in-teh

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding; 'Jag fattar inte' is more casual.

—

Swahili Kiswahili sw

Sielewi

See-eh-LEH-vee

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Tamil தமிழ் ta

எனக்குப் புரியவில்லை

Eh-nak-ku poo-ri-ya-vil-lai

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Telugu తెలుగు te

నాకు అర్థం కాలేదు

Naa-koo ar-THAM kaa-LE-du

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Thai ไทย th

ฉันไม่เข้าใจ

Chan mai kao jai

Use 'phom' if you are male and 'chan' if you are female.

—

Filipino Filipino tl

Hindi ko naiintindihan

Hin-dee ko nai-in-tin-di-han

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding; 'Hindi ko gets' is more casual.

—

Turkish Türkçe tr

Anlamıyorum

An-la-mı-YO-rum

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Ukrainian українська uk

Я не розумію

Ya ne ro-zoo-MEE-yu

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Urdu اردو ur

مجھے سمجھ نہیں آتا

Moo-JEH su-MAJ-nah-hee aa-TAA

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

—

Vietnamese Tiếng Việt vi

Tôi không hiểu

Toy khong yew

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Yoruba Yoruba yo

Mi ò ye mi

Mee oh yeh mee

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

Chinese 中文 zh

我不明白

Wo boo ming-bye

This is a standard and polite way to express that you don't understand.

zh-yue zh-yue zh-yue

我唔明白

Ngoh m ming baak

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding in Cantonese.

—

Zulu Zulu zu

Angazi

Ah-ngah-zee

This is a standard way to express lack of understanding.

—

← All phrases

More phrases