Business English Tip: What to Do When You Don’t Know How to Respond It happens to everyone — you get asked a question and your mind goes blank. Here’s how to handle it professionally: Take a pause – It’s okay to think before you speak. Use fillers like: “That’s a good question…” “Let me think for a moment…” Ask for clarification – If you’re not sure what the other person means: “Could you clarify what you mean by…?” “Do you mean…?” Paraphrase the question – Restating it buys you time and shows you’re listening. “So, you’re asking about our marketing strategy, right?” Be honest (professionally) – If you don’t know the answer: “I’m not sure, but I can check and get back to you.” “That’s outside my expertise, but I can find someone who knows.” Redirect the focus – Share what you do know that’s related. “I’m not familiar with that model, but I can tell you about…” Remember: In business, how you handle uncertainty can matter as much as the answer itself. Stay calm, polite, and confident.

“Ganyan din ako” (“I am also like that”) This expression conveys empathy. You use it to let someone know that they are not alone in what they are feeling or going through. It tells the other person that you have experienced the same problem, challenge, or situation, and therefore you can genuinely relate to them. Knowing that a struggle is not unique, that someone else has walked the same path, can be comforting. It reminds us that our experiences are shared, and that understanding and support can come from those who have been there too.

Dialogue for conversation practice in Purchasing: Mr. Santos (Purchasing Manager): Good morning, Clarisse. I just finished reviewing the purchase orders for Q3, and I noticed that our total inventory spend hit ₱17,850,000. That’s 12% higher than our projected budget of ₱15,900,000. Clarisse (Purchasing Assistant): Good morning, sir. Yes, the increase was due to the bulk order of eco-friendly packaging materials. We ordered 150,000 units instead of the usual 90,000, since our supplier offered a 20% discount for orders above 100,000 units. Mr. Santos: That makes sense. So, how much did we save from that bulk purchase? Clarisse: We saved ₱450,000 overall. The regular price per unit is ₱8.50, but we got them for ₱6.50. Mr. Santos: Good job securing that deal. But we need to be careful with warehouse capacity. We only have space for 180,000 units at a time. Are we close to that limit? Clarisse: Yes, sir. After the new deliveries last week, we’re at 170,000 units in storage. I’ve already coordinated with logistics to schedule faster distribution to free up space. Mr. Santos: Excellent. Now, another point—our Q2 sales showed a movement of 220,000 units, up by 25% compared to Q1. If this trend continues, we might need to adjust Q4 orders to meet a demand projection of 275,000 units. Clarisse: Noted, sir. I’ll prepare a forecast based on a 30% growth rate, just in case, and coordinate with our top 3 suppliers. Mr. Santos: Please also check if our supplier from (country) can handle scaling up production. They handled only 60,000 units last quarter. If we ask for 100,000 units, we need to know their lead time and capacity. Clarisse: Yes, sir. I’ll email them today and ask for updated production and shipping estimates. Mr. Santos: Great. Let’s aim to finalize Q4 procurement by the first week of August. That gives us enough time for contingencies.

Naiintindihan kita! I understand you! Isn’t it encouraging when someone truly understands your pain or knows where you’re coming from? It takes empathy to do this. But we must remember—everyone’s situation is different, and people deal with things in their own way. Still, hearing someone say this phrase can be deeply comforting, especially when they’ve been through something similar. Tell a friend, “Naiintindihan kita.” Say it when you truly mean it.

“Gusto” practice dialogue Jana: Ano ang gusto mong gawin? Joy: Gusto kong kumain ng pansit sa kanto. Ano ang gusto mong gawin? Jana: Gusto kong uminom ng kape sa Starbuko. Ano ang gustong gawin ni Janice? Joy: Sabi niya, gusto niyang matulog sa kuwarto niya. Ayaw niyang umalis. Jana: Gusto ba niya ng burger? Joy: Ayaw niya ng burger. Gusto niya ang kakanin sa Mang Domeng. Jana: Gusto ba niya ng kape? Joy: Gusto niya ang kape sa Mang Domeng