word choice - "Does it make sense?" or "Do you understand me?"?



Suppose I tell something to my companion and I want to make sure he understands me. I thought I may simply ask "Do you understand me?". But recently I heard that in such cases I should ask "Does that make sense?" instead. Is this true? Which option is appropriate to use in business communication?



Answer



"Do you understand me?" slightly carries the implication that it is your fault if you do not understand.


"Does it make sense?" carries the implication that it is my fault if you do not understand.


So politeness suggests that the latter is better.


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