How to say "I don't understand" in Spanish

How do you say "I don't understand" in Spanish?

Say No entiendo, and follow it with what you need: a repeat, slower speech, or a word.

• No entiendo.Unit 5

  I don't understand.

• ¿Puede repetir, por favor?Unit 5

  Can you repeat that, please? (polite)

• Más despacio, por favor.Unit 2

  Slower, please.

• ¿Podría hablar más despacio, por favor?Unit 16

  Could you speak more slowly, please?

  Extra polite.

• ¿Cómo se dice…?Unit 6

  How do you say…?

  "How do you say…?": point at the thing, or say the English word.

What is the difference between no entiendo and no entendí?

No entiendo is "I don't understand" (in general, or right now), while No entendí is "I didn't catch that", about something just said. In conversation, No entendí, ¿puede repetir? sounds natural.

• No entendí.

  I didn't catch that. I didn't understand.

• Más o menos. No entendí nada.

  So-so. I didn't understand a thing.

What do Mexicans say when they didn't hear you?

Mexicans say ¿Mande? ("Pardon?") when they didn't catch something. It's polite, and you can say it too, instead of a blunt ¿Qué?

• ¿Mande?Unit 5

  Sorry? Pardon? (a polite Mexican way to ask someone to repeat)

• Hablo un poco de español.Unit 2

  I speak a little Spanish.

  Saying this first makes people slow down naturally.

What mistakes do English speakers make when they don't understand?

The common mistakes are saying No sé ("I don't know") when you mean "I don't understand", and a bare ¿Qué?, which can sound blunt.

• No sé means "I don't know". "I don't understand" is No entiendo.
• A bare ¿Qué? can sound rude in Mexico. Use ¿Mande? or ¿Perdón?
• No comprendo is correct but more formal; No entiendo is what people say.

How can you practice saying it out loud?

Say it to someone who answers. In CiaoSpeak's Spanish course, set in Mexico City, the lessons teach these phrases with a recording and a note on when to use it, and in the Speak tab a character in a real scene (a barista, a taxi driver, your language-exchange partner Ana) talks to you and you answer out loud. The app tells you whether a person would understand you, with one gentle fix if not. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More phrases: how to say everyday things in Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between no entiendo and no entendí?

No entiendo is "I don't understand", in general or right now. No entendí is "I didn't catch that", about something someone just said.

Is no comprendo correct?

Yes, no comprendo is correct, but it sounds more formal. In everyday conversation, people say no entiendo.

How do you ask someone to speak slower in Spanish?

Say Más despacio, por favor ("Slower, please"), or more politely, ¿Podría hablar más despacio, por favor?