Didn’t understand the interview question? 24 phrases to use

Not understanding a question in an English job interview is completely normal, especially if English isn’t your first language: an accent, fast speech, a bad connection or a single unfamiliar word is enough. The worst thing you can do is give a long, guessed answer to a question you didn’t understand. Instead, politely ask for a repeat, check what you understood, or ask for a moment to think. We’ve grouped the 24 phrases below by situation.

#What to say to ask for the question again

If you didn’t hear the question at all or missed it completely, a direct, polite request to repeat it works best.

1. Could you repeat the question, please?
2. Sorry, could you say that again?
3. I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.
4. Would you mind repeating the last part? Useful when you only missed the end.
5. Could you speak a little more slowly, please?

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that” suggests the problem was the audio. It doesn’t draw attention to your language level.

#What to say to confirm you understood

If you heard the question but aren’t sure what is being asked, restate it in your own words. This keeps you from answering the wrong question and gives you a few seconds to think.

6. Just to make sure I understand, you’re asking about…?
7. So you’d like to know how I…, is that right?
8. Do you mean…, or…? Offers the interviewer two readings to choose from.
9. Are you asking about my current role or my previous one?
10. When you say “…”, do you mean…?

#What to say when you need time to think

If you understood the question but need a few seconds to put your answer together, saying so is better than silence.

11. That’s a good question. Let me think for a moment.
12. Give me a second to think of a good example.
13. Let me take a moment to organise my thoughts.
14. I haven’t thought about it that way before, but…

#What to say when you don’t know a word

If you understood the question but one term or acronym is new to you, ask about that part only.

15. Sorry, what do you mean by “…”?
16. I’m not familiar with that term. Could you explain it?
17. Is that the same as…?

Not knowing a company-specific acronym is normal. Pretending to know a term you don’t will put you in a difficult spot on the follow-up questions.

#What to say when you lose track mid-answer

While answering, you can lose sight of what the question actually was. To get back on track:

18. Sorry, let me go back to your question.
19. To answer your question more directly…
20. Did that answer your question?

The last phrase hands the floor back to the interviewer at the end of a long answer and makes it easy for them to ask about anything you missed.

#What to say when there’s an audio or connection problem online

21. Sorry, you cut out for a second. Could you repeat the last part?
22. I think there’s a delay on the line.
23. Can you hear me clearly?
24. Would it help if I turned off my camera?

#What should you avoid?

• One-word replies: “What?” or a bare “Pardon?” can sound rude in an interview. Use a full sentence.
• Pretending you understood: a long answer to the wrong question costs you far more than a clarifying question.
• Asking for a repeat on every question: once or twice is natural; doing it every time makes you look unprepared.
• Over-apologizing: sentences like “I’m so sorry, my English is not very good” needlessly draw attention to your language level. A short “Sorry” is enough.

#Preparation: get used to hearing the questions in advance

The most common reason for not understanding a question is being unfamiliar with how it’s phrased. Before the interview:

• Listen to common questions for the role in English, out loud. Reading them isn’t enough.
• Prepare 4–5 stories from your own experience in English (a success, a mistake, a disagreement, a moment of leadership). The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) helps you structure them.
• Collect the terms specific to your field and the company’s product names in a list, and listen to how they’re pronounced.
• Pick one phrase from each group above and memorize it. Under pressure, the sentence that comes to mind first is the one you’ve repeated most.

#How Koldash helps here

Koldash transcribes the conversation live in English, Turkish or German, so you can read a question you missed on screen. If you add your CV and notes to a template you’ve prepared for interviews, it suggests a short answer when a question comes up, in the language of the conversation and based only on the facts in your preparation. When a personal question isn’t covered by your preparation, it stays quiet instead of guessing. Before the meeting, you can try it out by typing questions into Test Template.

Some companies don’t allow outside help during interviews. Check the company’s rules before the interview and follow them. The real goal is to prepare beforehand so you can speak for yourself in the interview.