Qué vas a aprender
- Abrir una conversación sobre decir que no entendés con una frase clara y adecuada al contexto.
- Usar vocabulario específico de decir que no entendés para dar o pedir la información central.
- Confirmar nombres, números, tiempos o próximos pasos sin depender de traducciones literales.
- Pedir aclaraciones y reformular cuando no entendés una parte de la respuesta.
- Cerrar el intercambio dejando claro qué va a pasar después.
Vocabulario esencial
clima
“What’s the weather like today?”hogar / tareas domésticas
“There are three people in my household.”mensaje
“Could I leave a message?”letra / carta
“The first letter is B.”llamada telefónica
“I need to make a quick phone call.”deletreo / ortografía
“Could you check the spelling of my name?”detalle
“I just need to confirm one detail.”despacio
“Could you speak more slowly, please?”información
“Could you send me the information by email?”número
“Let me repeat the number.”vecino/a
“My neighbour lives upstairs.”paquete
“Has my package arrived yet?”Frases que realmente podés usar
Could you say that again more slowly?
How do you spell that?
Let me repeat the number to make sure I got it right.
I’m calling about…
Could you spell that for me?
Let me check and get back to you.
I didn’t quite catch that.
Could you say that again, please?
Would you mind saying that one more time?
Who should I contact if I have another question?
What would you recommend in this situation?
What happens if that changes?
That works for me. What should I do next?
Diálogo realista
Alex: Could you say that again more slowly?
Sam: Of course. I can help with that.
Alex: How do you spell that?
Sam: Sure. It’s S-A-M.
Alex: Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again?
Sam: Of course. I’ll say it more slowly.
Alex: Let me repeat the number to make sure I got it right.
Sam: I see. Thanks for telling me.
Alex: I’m calling about my appointment.
Sam: I see. Thanks for telling me.
Alex: Could you spell that for me?
Sam: Sure. It’s S-A-M.
Alex: Before we finish, I want to make sure I understood the important part.
Sam: Of course. Repeat the key information in your own words, and I’ll tell you if anything needs correcting.
Alex: Okay. If I miss a word, is it fine to ask the other person to repeat just that part?
Sam: Absolutely. You can ask them to repeat it, say it more slowly, or write it down if that would help.
Alex: That’s useful. I sometimes understand the general idea but worry that I missed one important detail.
Sam: That happens often. Focus first on names, times, numbers, places, and the action you need to take next.
Alex: So I don’t need to understand every single word to keep the conversation moving.
Sam: Exactly. A short clarification question is usually better than guessing or staying silent.
Alex: And if I need a moment to think, can I say something like “Let me check”?
Sam: Yes. “Let me check,” “Give me a second,” and “Just to confirm” are all natural ways to buy a little time.
Alex: Great. I feel much more confident about handling this kind of conversation now.
Sam: Good. Keep the useful phrases short, practise them out loud, and adapt them to the details you actually need.
Alex: No, that covers it. Thanks for your help.
Sam: You’re welcome. Have a good day.
Cómo suena en inglés natural
Escuchá la función, no cada palabra
En una conversación sobre decir que no entendés, identificá primero si la otra persona está pidiendo un dato, confirmando algo o indicando un próximo paso. Esa función te ayuda a responder incluso si no entendiste una palabra secundaria.
Confirmar es parte de una conversación natural
“Just to confirm…” y “So, if I understood correctly…” son recursos normales en inglés profesional y cotidiano. Sirven para reducir errores, no para demostrar inseguridad.
Usá bloques de lenguaje reutilizables
No memorices el diálogo completo. Elegí dos frases del bloque anterior y combinalas con vocabulario como “weather”, “household” o “message”. Así podés adaptarte si la conversación cambia.
Errores comunes de hispanohablantes
✕ I have a doubt about this.
✓ I have a question about this.
Para una consulta concreta, “I have a question” es la opción natural.
✕ Can you repeat me that?
✓ Could you repeat that, please?
Con repeat, lo natural es usar directamente el objeto: “repeat that”.
✕ I need that you explain it.
✓ I need you to explain it.
Después de need se usa “person + to + verb”: “I need you to explain it”.
✕ What means this?
✓ What does this mean?
En preguntas con mean se usa el auxiliar does: “What does this mean?”
Mini práctica
Respondé las seis actividades. La corrección aparece en el momento y al final vas a ver tu resultado.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Qué conviene practicar primero en esta situación?
Empezá por una frase para abrir la conversación, una para pedir o dar la información principal y otra para pedir aclaración. Después practicá el diálogo en voz alta.
¿Tengo que memorizar todas las frases?
No. Elegí primero tres o cuatro expresiones que realmente usarías, practicá el diálogo y después agregá alternativas.