Ich verstehe nicht (ikh fer-SHTAY-eh nikht) means I don't understand in German. Add what you don't follow: Ich verstehe das nicht (I don't understand that) or Ich verstehe Sie nicht (I can't understand you). If you just missed a word, Wie bitte? (pardon?) is the polite way to ask for a repeat.
- I don't understand
- Ich verstehe nicht.
- I didn't catch that
- Das habe ich nicht verstanden.
- Pardon?
- Wie bitte?
- Slower, please
- Langsamer, bitte.
- Level
- A1
Which phrase should you use when you're lost?
German is precise about what you don't understand: the words, the person, or the situation. The table runs from polite to very casual.
| German | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Wie bitte? | Pardon? Sorry? | You missed what was said; polite with anyone |
| Das habe ich nicht verstanden. | I didn't catch that. | Very common, often softer than the present tense |
| Ich verstehe Sie nicht. | I can't understand you. | Sie: noise, a strong accent, speaking too fast |
| Ich verstehe dich nicht. | I can't understand you. | The same to someone you call du |
| Ich verstehe das nicht. | I don't get it. | A rule, a joke, a situation |
| Was? | What? | Fine with friends; abrupt with strangers |
| Hä? | Huh? | Very casual, among friends only |
| Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. | It's all Greek to me. | Idiom: I understand only 'railway station' |
Word order trips up English speakers. The verb comes second and nicht comes after the thing you don't understand: Ich verstehe das nicht, never "ich nicht verstehe". In this Contos A1 market feud, a stallholder's son uses the du form on a friend:
Stopp, Sophie. Du verstehst das nicht.Nicht or nichts: how much don't you understand?
Nicht is not; nichts is nothing. Ich verstehe nicht is I don't understand; ich verstehe nichts is I understand nothing at all. A Contos A1 heroine gets the second one, when her mother announces an engagement Sophie knows nothing about:
Sophie versteht nichts. "Mama, was?"Between nothing and everything there is nicht alles, not everything, which is where most learners live:
Marcus versteht nicht alles, aber er ist nervös.How do you ask someone to repeat or speak more slowly?
A few fixed questions keep a conversation going. Use können Sie with strangers and anyone you address formally, kannst du with friends.
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Could you repeat that, please?
Sie.
Kannst du das noch mal sagen?
Can you say that again?
du.
Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?
Could you speak more slowly, please?
Was bedeutet Feierabend?
What does Feierabend mean?
Feierabend is the end of the working day.
Wie sagt man "receipt" auf Deutsch?
How do you say "receipt" in German?
Entschuldigung, mein Deutsch ist noch nicht so gut.
Sorry, my German isn't very good yet.
If the conversation really stalls, the next step is asking whether they speak English. In a shop, the question you most need is usually how much is it?
Read A1 German stories and tap any word you don't understand: the meaning appears on the spot.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Ich verstehe nicht?
Roughly "ikh fer-SHTAY-eh nikht". The v sounds like f, st at the start of a syllable sounds like sht, and both ch sounds are the soft hiss of ich. In speech the final e often drops: Ich versteh' nicht.
What does Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof mean?
Literally "I only understand railway station". It means it's all Greek to me: the speaker can't follow a word. It is informal and a little jokey.
Is saying Was? rude in German?
To friends and family, no. To a stranger, a shop assistant or anyone you call Sie, it can sound abrupt. Wie bitte? is the polite version.
How do you say "I don't speak German"?
Ich spreche kein Deutsch, with kein rather than nicht. If you speak a little, say Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch, which usually earns patience and slower speech.