Hebrew for Saying You Don’t Understand at Work

Hebrew phrases for when you don’t understand at work

At work in Israel, you usually do not need perfect Hebrew. You do need a few safe phrases that help you slow things down, ask for a repeat, or say that you need clarification. The goal is to keep the conversation moving without sounding rude or overly formal.

A very useful phrase is:

• אני לא מבין — Ani lo mevin — I don’t understand.
• אני לא מבינה — Ani lo mevinah — I don’t understand.

If you want to sound a little softer, you can add סליחה (slicha) at the beginning:

• סליחה, אני לא מבין
• סליחה, אני לא מבינה

If you only missed part of what was said, these are often more natural than saying you understand nothing:

• לא הבנתי — Lo hevanti / lo hevanti — I didn’t understand.
• אפשר לחזור? — Efshar lachzor? — Can you repeat?
• אפשר שוב? — Efshar shuv? — Again, please?
• מה זה אומר? — Ma ze omer? — What does that mean?
• אפשר להסביר אחרת? — Efshar lehaskir acheret? — Can you explain it differently?

In a workplace setting, it often helps to be specific about what you need. For example:

• אפשר יותר לאט? — Can you speak more slowly?
• אפשר לשלוח לי בוואטסאפ? — Can you send it to me on WhatsApp?
• אפשר לכתוב לי? — Can you write it down for me?
• אני צריך רגע לחשוב / אני צריכה רגע לחשוב — I need a moment to think.

That last one is especially useful when someone explains something fast and you want a second to process it before answering.

Common work situations

1) In a meeting

If someone is talking too quickly or using a lot of jargon, try:

• סליחה, לא הבנתי את החלק הזה — Sorry, I didn’t understand that part.
• אפשר להסביר את זה שוב? — Can you explain that again?
• מה הכוונה ב... ? — What do you mean by...?

If the meeting involves notes or follow-up, it can help to ask for a written summary. That connects well with Hebrew for Meeting Notes.

2) In an email or chat

Sometimes it is easier to ask for clarification in writing than in person. A short message can be enough:

• היי, לא הבנתי את ההודעה. אפשר להסביר? — Hi, I didn’t understand the message. Can you explain?
• אפשר לפרט קצת יותר? — Can you give a bit more detail?
• לא ברור לי מה צריך לעשות — It’s not clear to me what needs to be done.

If you are writing to a colleague, clear and simple wording is often best. For more practice with written workplace Hebrew, see Hebrew for Work Emails.

3) With a coworker in a casual conversation

When someone says something and you want to keep the conversation friendly, use a softer phrase:

• סליחה, פספסתי את זה — Sorry, I missed that.
• אפשר להגיד שוב? — Can you say it again?
• אני עוד לומד/ת עברית — I’m still learning Hebrew.

That last phrase can reduce pressure and usually gets a patient response. If you want more everyday office language, Hebrew for Coworker Small Talk is a good follow-up.

A few practical tips

• Use short sentences. In real life, short Hebrew is better than a long sentence with mistakes.
• Don’t be afraid to ask twice. People in Israel often speak quickly. Asking again is normal.
• Match the setting. In a formal meeting, use אפשר להסביר?. In a chat with a teammate, לא הבנתי is usually enough.
• Keep your tone calm. A simple clarification request sounds much better than pretending you understood when you didn’t.

Quick cheat sheet

• אני לא מבין / אני לא מבינה — I don’t understand
• לא הבנתי — I didn’t understand
• אפשר לחזור? — Can you repeat?
• אפשר שוב? — Again, please?
• אפשר להסביר אחרת? — Can you explain it differently?
• מה הכוונה? — What do you mean?
• אפשר לכתוב לי? — Can you write it down for me?

If you work in Hebrew every day, these phrases will save you a lot of stress. You do not need to understand everything the first time. You just need a clear way to say, politely and confidently, that you need it again.