You can say “I don’t understand” when someone tries to explain a process to you, or when you’re commenting on a situation. But there are also other common native English expressions you can use. Here are five new expressions for you. Practise one at a time until you feel confident, then move on to the next.
I (just) don’t get it!
Say this when you don’t understand something “factual”, or when you don’t understand why something is happening.
“So you need to multiply this figure by 30, then divide by 8.”
“Eh? I don’t get it!”
“I just don’t get it. Why are they reducing the number of police officers when the crime rate is going up?”
It makes no sense to me!
Use this phrase when you want to say that something seems illogical to you.
“Their policies make no sense to me!”
It’s a mystery to me!
You can say this when you think a situation is illogical – and especially if you think there’s a better way of doing something.
“It’s a mystery to me why they allow motorbike races in the middle of town. People could get hurt!”
It’s completely beyond me!
You can say this in the same situation as you would say “It’s a mystery to me”. We something is “beyond” us when it’s too much for our brains to understand.
“It’s completely beyond me why the company would shut down its office in London.”
I can’t get my head around it!
If you can’t get your head around something, it means that you aren’t able to understand it. Maybe it’s too complicated, or perhaps it’s illogical.
“Why did she give up such a great job? I can’t get my head around it.”