Phrases to Use When You Don't Understand an Interview Question

The interviewer stops talking. You caught the words "project" and "challenge", but the rest was a blur. This is the moment many candidates guess, then give a long answer to a question nobody asked.

There is a safer move: ask for clarification. Experienced interviewers know that a video interview in your second language, over a connection that sometimes stutters, will not always be smooth. A polite question shows you are careful and want to answer well. This article gives you ready-to-use phrases, grouped by the type of problem you are facing.

Why asking is the right move

Answering the wrong question hurts you twice. You spend your time on something irrelevant. And the interviewer may decide you weren't listening, or don't know the topic, when the real issue was only language.

One short clarifying sentence, on the other hand, costs almost nothing. Many teams, especially remote teams spread across countries, see checking for understanding as a good work habit. People who ask "Do you mean A or B?" before they start tend to make fewer mistakes.

A simple rule: if you are not sure about at least half of what was asked, don't guess. Ask.

When you didn't hear it clearly

This is the most common problem. The interviewer talks fast, has an accent you are not used to, or the audio breaks up. Use clear, simple phrases.

Sorry, could you repeat the question?

Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say it again?

Could you say that a bit more slowly, please?

If the problem is the connection, just say so. It's not your fault, and interviewers understand.

Sorry, your audio cut out for a second.

I think the connection dropped. Could you repeat the last part?

Avoid a bare "What?" or "Huh?", which can sound rude. Also avoid "Can you repeat again?" because "repeat" already means "say again". Use "Can you repeat that?" instead.

When one word is the problem

Sometimes you hear every word, but one term is new to you. Name that word directly, so the interviewer doesn't have to repeat the whole question.

Sorry, what do you mean by "stakeholder alignment"?

I'm not sure I know the term "on-call rotation". Could you explain it?

When you say "ownership", do you mean leading the project?

The last pattern is especially useful. You show that you already have a guess, so the interviewer only needs to say "yes" or adjust slightly. It sounds more confident than "I don't understand."

If the term is technical and you really haven't used it, be honest. "I haven't used that tool yet" is better than pretending and getting caught on the follow-up question. We cover that pattern in depth in honest answers when you haven't done it.

When the intent is unclear

Some questions use easy words but point in many directions. For example: "Tell me about a time things didn't go well." A project? A team? A client? You can ask the interviewer to narrow it down.

Do you mean a technical problem or a problem with the team?

Should I talk about my current job or an earlier one?

Would you like a specific example, or a general overview?

How much detail would you like?

Either-or questions are easier for the interviewer than open ones. They just pick an option, and you instantly know where to go.

Paraphrase to confirm you understood

Paraphrasing means repeating the question in your own words and asking for confirmation. It works well for long questions with two or three parts.

So you're asking how I handled the deadline. Is that right?

Just to check, you want to know why I left my last job?

If I understand correctly, you want two things. My role, and the result. Correct?

You get three benefits. You confirm you're answering the right question. You gain a few seconds to plan your answer. And the interviewer sees you're listening closely. If you still need a moment after that, see our phrases to buy thinking time.

A short example exchange

Interviewer: "Can you walk me through how you'd approach migrating a legacy system while keeping downtime minimal?"

Candidate:

Sure. Just to check, you mean moving an old system to a new one?

And the goal is that users don't notice any downtime?

Interviewer: "Exactly."

Candidate:

Okay. I did something similar last year. Let me explain.

Notice how short the sentences are. You don't need long sentences to sound professional.

Common mistakes

A few habits make clarification sound awkward or waste time:

• Over-apologizing. "Sorry, sorry, my English is very bad, sorry." One "sorry" is enough. Putting yourself down again and again makes the call feel heavy.
• Pretending to understand, then answering vaguely. A generic answer like "I always work hard and communicate well" is often a sign the candidate missed the question. Interviewers notice.
• Asking for repeats without saying why. If you've asked twice and still don't get it, name the problem: the speed, a specific word, or the audio.
• Staying silent too long. Ten seconds of silence feels very long on a video call. Say something rather than nothing.
• Translating word for word from your first language. "Can you explain more clear?" should be "Could you explain that a bit more?" Use ready-made phrases instead of building sentences from scratch under stress.
• Blaming the interviewer. Skip "You speak too fast." Say "Could you say that a bit more slowly?" Same message, much better tone.

Core phrases checklist

You don't need every phrase above. Pick these six and practice until they come out without thinking:

Situation	Phrase
Didn't hear	Sorry, could you repeat the question?
Too fast	Could you say that a bit more slowly, please?
Audio dropped	Sorry, your audio cut out. Could you repeat the last part?
Unknown word	Sorry, what do you mean by "..."?
Unclear direction	Do you mean A or B?
Confirm	Just to check, you're asking about...?

How to practice: write the six phrases on a small card. Read them aloud three times a day for a week. Then use them during solo speaking practice. The goal is to say them as easily as "thank you".

Summary

Not understanding a question is normal, especially in an online interview in your second language. What separates calm candidates from panicked ones is having phrases ready. Name the problem specifically, use "A or B?" questions, and paraphrase before you answer. One clarifying sentence almost always beats a long answer to the wrong question.

Repartee can help in this moment. It shows the transcript, an Indonesian translation, and the core of the interviewer's question on screen, so you can check what was actually asked before you answer.