do you understand?

Question

How would I ask a native speaker if they are understanding my probably mispronounced attempts at speaking Spanish...would I say "usted me entiende'" or would I say "puede comprenderme'" or neither one'

Answer 1

Thank you both, but to Lazarus, I really appreciate your suggestion of saying "Am I understandable'" In English I am hyper sensitive to phrasing things with the least amount of offense, but in Spanish I really don't know how I am being perceived and that is the one thing about learning a new language that I don't like. Thank you for your insight.

Answer 2

lazarus1907 said:

My parents use to tell me that it is not very polite to ask others whether they understand you, because you are indirectly blaming them for any potential misunderstanding, so they insisted that I should ideally ask "Do I make myself clear'"

¿Me explico?

It is not exactly the same as "Do you understand me'" in terms of pronunciation, since it is about the way you express things. Also, people are probably indifferent to this politeness rule from my parents, but it is another way to get feedback in your communication. If you are unsure about your pronunciation, you could use this indirect way of asking like this:

¿Se me entiende? (Am I understandable')

Also, in my experience, Spanish-speakers in the U.S. will always say "Sí" if you ask "¿Me entiende'," no matter what, out of politeness. It might be better to ask them to repeat back their understanding, or find another way to get clarification.

Answer 3

My parents use to tell me that it is not very polite to ask others whether they understand you, because you are indirectly blaming them for any potential misunderstanding, so they insisted that I should ideally ask "Do I make myself clear'"

¿Me explico?

It is not exactly the same as "Do you understand me'" in terms of pronunciation, since it is about the way you express things. Also, people are probably indifferent to this politeness rule from my parents, but it is another way to get feedback in your communication. If you are unsure about your pronunciation, you could use this indirect way of asking like this:

¿Se me entiende? (Am I understandable')

Answer 4

Both of those would convey your meaning, although the "usted" isn't really necessary here, and the latter phrase sounds less natural.

To be more explicit, you might ask "¿Entiende(s) mi español'"