When you’re giving someone instructions or teaching them about a topic, it’s important to check in sometimes and make sure they understand what you’re saying.
But what are the best ways to do this without sounding patronizing? Would “does that make sense?” be appropriate?
Read on to find out.
Other Ways to Ask “Does That Make Sense?”
- Do you need any further clarification?
- Do you know what I mean?
- I hope this makes sense
- What are your thoughts?
- How does that sound to you?
- Is that clear?
- Do you have any questions?
- What do you think so far?
- Does that sound logical?
- Are you following this?
- Am I making sense?
- Does that answer your question?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Does that make sense?” is a grammatically correct phrase but it can sometimes come across as condescending, so be careful how you use it.
- A better option for formal settings is “do you need any further clarification?”
- In informal scenarios, you can try using “do you know what I mean?”
Stick around!
You should now have a good idea of what to say instead of “does that make sense?” However, we’re not finished yet.
We’ll go on to explain more about the scenarios in which you can use these formal and informal alternatives, including providing some examples to illustrate this.
Do You Need Any Further Clarification? (Formal)
“Do you need any further clarification?” is a formal alternative to “does that make sense?”
This phrase is better than “does that make sense?” if you’re in a professional environment and engaging in conversation with people you don’t have a casual relationship with.
This is because “does that make sense?” is a phrase that can sometimes be interpreted as rude or condescending, whereas “do you need any further clarification?” doesn’t have these negative connotations.
Additionally, it places more responsibility on the asker than the answerer. While “does that make sense?” only asks if someone has personally understood something, “do you need any further clarification?” is an offer to provide more information.
Here are some examples of how you can use “do you need any further clarification?”:
Do you feel confident completing this task, or do you need any further clarification?
Do you need any further clarification? I want you to always feel comfortable asking questions.
Do You Know What I Mean? (Informal)
Another way of saying “does that make sense?” is “do you know what I mean?”
This is an informal synonym which you should use when you’re communicating with people you have a friendly relationship with.
It’s appropriate to use in the workplace but might not be the best phrase to use when speaking to superiors. Additionally, we wouldn’t recommend using this phrase during presentations or pitches.
Here are some examples of how this phrase works:
I understand that we have other priorities right now, but I think this will impact our brand identity in the long run. Do you know what I mean?
So, it’s the little red box in the top right corner with the weird symbol that looks a bit like a smiling man wearing a top hat – do you know what I mean?
Is “Does That Make Sense” Condescending?
“Does that make sense?” is a phrase that’s sometimes interpreted as rude and condescending.
However, this does depend on the context it’s being used in the language surrounding it.
For example, if someone says something about a topic that they know you to be an expert in, and then follows it with “does that make sense?” this will feel condescending.
Conversely, if someone is instructing you on a process that you’re new to, this can be a perfectly polite way to check that you’re keeping up and that they’re explaining clearly.
Here’s an example where the phrase does come across as condescending:
- It’s your job to make the customer happy so I don’t really care about how you’re feeling as long as you’re doing that; does that make sense to you?
And here’s one where it doesn’t:
- So, you have to enable the timer function before you can input the data – does that make sense to you?
You should avoid using “does that make sense?” when you’re giving any kind of presentation. This is because it makes you sound uncertain when you want to be presenting yourself as an expert. Instead, you can ask for questions and offer clarification when you’re finished.
We hope you found this article useful. If you’re interested in using any of these synonyms in the future, why not bookmark this page so you can find them again easily?