[General] didn't get you or don't get you?

[ranjan69]

Hi,

I have a doubt regarding the usage of below mentioned sentences and their context.

I don't get you.
I didn't get you.

How and when to use which sentence? I mean, if we don't understand what a person is saying to whom we are

speaking? Any help will be appreciated.

Thank You.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,

I have a doubt regarding the usage of below mentioned sentences and their context.

I don't get you.
I didn't get you.

How and when [strike]to[/strike] should I use which sentence? I mean (no comma required) if we don't understand what a person is saying to whom we are speaking. Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you.

If I didn't understand what someone said to me, I would say "I'm sorry. I didn't understand that. Could you explain it a different way?" If I simply didn't hear what they said, I would say "I'm sorry, I didn't hear/catch that. Could you repeat it please?"

Although "to get" can be used to mean "to understand", it doesn't really work in the sentences you suggested.

 

[SlickVic9000]

Maybe it's an AmE thing. "I don't get you" usually means "I don't understand what you're talking about". It could also mean "I find your behavior confusing or inconsistent". Another way to say it, at least in AmE, is "Sorry, I don't follow". I can't think of too many situations where you would use these phrases in the past tense.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would use "I don't get it" to show that I didn't understand a concept someone had just explained to me, but not "I don't get you" to mean that I didn't understand what that person said.

 

[SlickVic9000]

I think it's just a lazy way of saying "I don't get what you mean/what you are saying".