In short: To say "I don't understand", say എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായില്ല (enikku manassilaayilla). Follow it with ഒന്നൂടെ പറയാമോ? (onnoode parayaamo?) ("say it again?") or പതുക്കെ പറയാമോ? (pathukke parayaamo?) ("speak slowly?").
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായില്ല | Enikku manassilaayilla | I don't understand |
| മനസ്സിലായില്ല | Manassilaayilla | Didn't get it (short) |
| ഒന്നൂടെ പറയാമോ? | Onnoode parayaamo? | Can you say it again? |
| ഇതിന്റെ അർത്ഥം എന്താ? | Ithinte artham entha? | What does this mean? |
When & how to use it
Don't confuse it with അറിയില്ല (ariyilla), "I don't know (a fact)". Manassilaayilla is specifically "I didn't follow what was said".
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ക്ഷമിക്കണം, എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായില്ല. | Kshamikkanam, enikku manassilaayilla. | Sorry, I didn't understand. |
| പതുക്കെ പറയാമോ? മനസ്സിലായില്ല. | Pathukke parayaamo? Manassilaayilla. | Speak slowly? I didn't get it. |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 24 - 'I'm Still Learning Malayalam' (Survival) in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
Practise speaking it for real
These pages train your ear. A live 1-to-1 lesson with Reshmi trains your mouth — real-time correction only a teacher can give.
Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you say I don't understand in Malayalam?
Say എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായില്ല (enikku manassilaayilla).
What's the difference between manassilaayilla and ariyilla?
Manassilaayilla = "I didn't understand"; ariyilla = "I don't know".
How do you ask someone to repeat in Malayalam?
Say ഒന്നൂടെ പറയാമോ? (onnoode parayaamo?).
How do you ask the meaning of a word?
Say ഇതിന്റെ അർത്ഥം എന്താ? (ithinte artham entha?).