Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Do you feel confused sometimes?

Do you want to know how to express that confusion in English?

We all feel confused at different points in time, and you want to know how to talk about this.

You are always going to go through situations where you feel confusion, and knowing how to express that is helpful.

We’re going to look at different ways to express confusion, why it’s important, and how this may even help you with your connections.

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Speaking About Confusion

There are always going to be times in your life where you feel confused, and this is natural.

When you do feel confused about something, you want to be sure to ask for clarification.

We talked about asking for clarification, and that’s an important aspect of this.

Now think about this part of things though–how do you just say that you are confused?

Sure you can come right out and say that you are confused and keep it simple, but you want other ways to express this too.

We touched on this subject in a previous episode that may help you to revisit for reference.

Confused By Your English Teacher’s Response? What To Do

The thing about expressing your confusion is that it’s not just for smaller concepts, but rather this can apply to bigger life issues as well.

There may be reasons that you are confused because something just doesn’t make sense to you.

It may be that you need a new way of learning something or need to go in with a truly open mind too.

No matter what the reason for your confusion, there are multiple ways to express it in your conversations.

Other Ways To Speak To Your Confusion

Being honest enough to admit that you are confused about something is important because it shows that you are forthcoming.

What you may not realize is that admitting and expressing confusion can also be a great way to connect.

While we have talked about this a little bit in the past, expressing confusion is a common occurrence.

There are going to be plenty of times where you feel confused, particularly as you are learning a new language and getting used to a new culture.

There are other ways that you can help to express that confusion, and they can be quite helpful.

Though you can certainly say “I’m confused” these are also great phrases to use, and they can add a bit of fun to these conversations too.

  • It’s a mystery to me: This may be applicable to larger concepts or ideas, but it can work casually too. It’s a fun way to say that you are confused, but it certainly gets the point across in the right way. You might say something like “It’s a mystery to me how people afford living in huge apartments in NYC when it’s so expensive.”
  • I don’t get it: This could be used for both, and you could say say “I don’t get how…” You are being very straight to the point with this phrase because it says that you don’t understand something, and therefore you need some clarification. You could say “Your schedule is so busy and I don’t get it–sometimes it seems like you fit 25 hours into a busy 24 hour day!” You could also use the other version of this and say something like this “I don’t get how people are always squishing themselves onto the train when there is clearly no room.”
  • I have no clue/I don’t have a clue: It’s another fun way of saying that you are confused or that you just don’t understand what is being said or done. You are expressing your confusion, and asking for help but making the conversation light and enjoyable. You could say “These math problems are so tough. I don’t have a clue how to get through them!”

As you can see these phrases can be used casually or about a larger issue overall.

It may be difficult at first for you to admit that you are confused about something.

If however you use one of these phrases then it can make the conversation lighter and help to get your point across and express your confusion in a positive way.

Roleplay To Help

Roleplays are so important, particularly when they can help you to express something like confusion.

In this roleplay, Lindsay and Michelle are working on their homework together.

Michelle: “So what’s the answer to number 35?” 

Lindsay:” Ugh, I don’t have a clue, Michelle. Do you know?”

Michelle: “It’s 47. Do you know how I got that answer?”

Lindsay: “It’s a mystery to me. I don’t know, Michelle. I just don’t get it. (just key word frustration)

Michelle: “I don’t get how you can do your homework without any sleep. That’s why you are having so much trouble!” 

Lindsay: “You’re right!”

Takeaway

It’s important to be honest if you don’t understand something.

It can be something larger or smaller, and that’s not the important part, but rather that you feel comfortable expressing your confusion.

There are fun ways to say that you are confused in a different way, and they work quite well.

Try one of these phrases for a fun but effective way, and see how they work for you in conversation.

Honesty is always important, and it ultimately brings about connection too.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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