Phrases You Can Use When You Need to Be Direct

When communicating with people from different cultures, it can be difficult to be direct without being perceived as rude. It’s important to express yourself clearly, while still showing respect and understanding of other cultures. 

To help you achieve this balance, here are 3 phrases that you can use to be direct without being rude.

These phrases will help you communicate your thoughts and feelings in a respectful and effective way.

Need To Be Direct – I’m sorry, I don’t understand.

When communicating across cultures, it can be easy to offend someone without even knowing it. As an English learner, it is important to be direct without being rude when there is a misunderstanding.

One phrase that you can use in this situation is

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

This acknowledges that there may have been a misunderstanding without placing the blame on either person.

This phrase also sets up a space for further explanation and communication. It shows that you are open to understanding the other person and that you are willing to take the time to ensure there is clarity.

This helps build trust between you and the other person, as well as fostering mutual respect.

It is important to be polite when using this phrase, as being overly apologetic can be seen as insincere and even condescending in some cultures.

Just saying

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand”

with a respectful tone of voice is usually enough to make sure you are not being rude or offensive.

Need to be direct –  Could you please explain that again?

It can be tricky to ask someone to explain something a second time without sounding rude or impatient. However, it’s an important phrase to know if you’re an English learner. Asking someone to explain something again shows respect for the speaker and their knowledge.

When you need to ask someone to explain something again,

try saying:

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you please explain that again?”

This phrase is polite and respectful, while still being direct.

It’s also a good idea to specify what part you don’t understand.

For example, if the speaker used a difficult word or gave a lot of information, you could say:

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the word you used. Could you please explain that again?”

If the speaker is speaking too quickly, you can also politely ask them to slow down by saying:

“Can we please speak more slowly? I’m having difficulty following.”

This phrase acknowledges that you’re having trouble keeping up and politely requests that the speaker slows down.

Remember, no matter what language you’re speaking, it’s important to be polite and respectful.

Asking someone to explain something again in a kind and direct manner will help ensure successful communication.

Need to be direct –  Can we please speak more slowly?

Asking someone to slow down their speech can be a delicate situation if not handled correctly.

This is especially true when working across cultures, as some cultures may be more direct in their communication than others.

To ensure that you are not being too rude when asking someone to slow down their speech, it is important to phrase your request in the most polite way possible.

One way to ask someone to speak more slowly is to say,

“Can we please speak more slowly?”

This phrase is respectful and acknowledges the other person’s right to speak at the speed they want to. It also shows that you would like to understand them better and don’t want to miss out on any important details. 

Additionally, this phrase demonstrates that you value the other person’s time and energy, since they are taking the time to explain something to you.

By using this phrase, you can politely and effectively request that the speaker slow down so that you can better understand them.