Answer:
There are many different reasons why you might need to tell someone that you understand what they are saying.
Perhaps you want to make it clear that you understand the literal meaning of what they have said, for example, when you ask a teacher to explain what a new word means, or when you ask someone for directions in the street.
At other times, you might need to show that you understand someone on a deeper level. That could mean that you understand them intellectually (meaning that their point makes sense to you: you can see why they think something, even if you don’t agree), or that you understand them emotionally (meaning that you understand why they feel a certain way about something).
In these situations, it’s good to mix up your vocabulary so that you don’t just repeat the words “I understand” over and over!
Here are some other terms and phrases that you could use instead.
When You Understand the Literal Meaning:
Sometimes you need a quick way to show that you understand what someone just said to you, without expressing any opinions on this. You can do that by saying:
OK / Alright / Sure
When somebody is explaining something to you, or asking you to do something, replying to them with one of these words is a polite way to show that you are listening and can follow what they are saying.
Got it.
This is another way of saying “ok, I understood what you said / what you want from me!”
OK, I get it now / That’s clear, thank you.
If you had trouble understanding someone the first time round but now it is clear, these phrases are very useful
