Was ‘Oh I see’ ever a thing in English language? We talk about the constant creation of new words and terms in English language.
This is one of those few terms that must have been created by normal people. Someone probably started saying this impulsively and a meaning was given to it.
When a person says this in front of you, you can guess what it means, that is if you don’t already know the meaning of this saying.
It is used to show understanding of what someone else has said. In some cases, it is found offensive because it just shows a lack of interest in a conversation.
This is something you can hear from a person who has nothing else to say. It may also be a response after you give an explanation.
Below are 20 witty ways to respond to “Oh I see”
- That’s all.
- I didn’t understand it earlier either.
- Me too.
- Is there anything more you need help with?
- Thank God you do.
- Took you so long
- Well, I don’t see.
- That’s why you have eyes.
- I’m glad you understand
- Why wouldn’t you?
- That’s the current situation.
- You are welcome.
- Oh, I don’t.
- You better not.
- I don’t think it’s time for that.
- Make me understand
- Good to know
- That’s not even all
- How do you mean?
- Saves me the stress of elucidating.
Yup. That’s all
When a person says ‘Oh I see’, he or she is implying understanding. This response is suitable but that is entirely dependent on the situation you find yourself in and what has led to your conversation with this person.
By saying ‘that’s all’, you are implying that all you’ve said is all there is for the person to know. This message will be needless and will make no sense if the person has not asked you a question earlier.
In other words, you can use this response if the person is showing understanding of the explanation you gave.
I didn’t understand it earlier either
‘Oh I see’ is what you hear from someone who has just come to the realization of something.
If the person is saying it to you, it must be a response to something you said or an explanation you have given.
This response is self-explanatory. You should only use this if this is exactly how you feel.
You may be giving the person an explanation over an issue that has become clear to you only recently. This response expresses that.
Me too
This English phrase means something that someone else has said applies to you also.
In this context, it means you also understand what the person claims to understand. However, it may pass different meanings.
‘Oh I see’ doesn’t always mean a person understands what you have said. It may be a sarcastic way of showing disbelief.
You can say ‘oh I see’ if a person is telling lies and giving false explanations. When you say ‘me too’, you are showing that you don’t care what the person thinks.
You can say this while staring back into the person’s eyes and then, walk away.
‘Me too’ may also actually imply that you understand something. While it may sound like you are giving an explanation, you may just be retelling what someone has told you.
When you say this, you are implying that you also find it reasonable and you believe it.
Is there anything more you need help with?
This question works in specific situations, obviously, so you can’t just pull out this response every time when someone says ‘oh I see’ to you.
The person may call you and ask you a few questions. You may be in a situation where you have to give directions, information, or explanation of certain things to people.
After giving all the information you have been asked about, you can ask if there is anything more the person wants to know more about.
This question is considered suitable for this list since ‘oh I see’ is a typical response you may get after giving information or elucidations.
Thank God you do
If you think the person has said ‘oh I see’ as a form of sarcasm, you can simply respond with this and act like you are unaffected. This response is also okay if the statement was made sincerely.
You may wonder how this response fits. It works in certain situations just as it may sound weird in some. You may be giving explanations to a person whom you need to do a job or perform a task.
When the person says ‘oh I see’, it suggests that he or she understands. With this, you can be sure that the person understands the instructions and all that needs to be done.
Took you so long
This response implies that your listener – or whom you’re referring to – is doing something that should have been done earlier.
In this context, you are implying that the person is only understanding something that he or she should have understood long ago.
This response may sound disrespectful but it may be understood if you both were in an argument earlier.
To avoid sounding disrespectful or dismissive, you can talk about how long you have understood the topic or the time you expected him or her to have understood the situation.
Well, I don’t see
It sounds weird to say you don’t understand something after you have explained the same thing to another person.
However, this response is not incorrect. At least, not if it is used in the correct context.
It is possible to say something to a person and understand it less than the person does. The person may have other information that has just been supplemented by the information you just gave.
On the other hand, you don’t have the information that the other person has so you are still struggling to understand the information you gave out.
The person can say ‘oh I see’ to show understanding and you can say this before asking how the person understands the situation.
It may also not be a misunderstanding. It may simply be you refusing to accept a fact or situation because it is unfavorable to you.
That’s why you have eyes
This seems quite disrespectful so you can use this if that is what you need. You can also say this to a friend. As long as your friend has a sense of humor, you won’t be offending him or her.
This is a sarcastic response. It may imply that you don’t expect yourself to have to explain the situation to the person before he or she understands.
I’m glad you understand
This may imply that you are truly glad. You may have been in a situation where you have unintentionally offended a person.
There are forces beyond our control that may cause disagreements, misunderstandings, and unintentional disappointments.
When you are in this situation, you have to explain how the whole phenomenon was beyond your control and show true remorse.
When the person says ‘oh I see’, it may imply that he or she understands (it may also be a sarcastic show of disbelief). In response to this, you can say you are glad the person has shown understanding.
Why wouldn’t you?
This rhetorical question may imply that the situation is very clear so just anyone should understand. It may also just be used informally as a joke.
If you are using this informally, you should only say it to close friends so you don’t sound insulting to them.
That’s the current situation
A person can say ‘oh I see’ as a response to an explanation you gave or information. You may have given information about the situation of things to a person.
‘Oh I see’, in this situation, suggests that the person understands something else and the information you gave has assisted in throwing light.
If the person is not saying what he or she understands, you may not care. You can just make a comment on the information you have given or give it a good conclusion by saying ‘that’s the current situation’.
You are welcome
‘Oh I see’ can be a form of ‘Thank you’ after you answer a person’s question. In some cases, the person will add his or her appreciation.
In other cases, ‘oh I see’ simply acknowledges that you have answered the person’s question. Therefore, saying ‘you are welcome’ to the person should work nicely.
This response may be received in different ways, however. If the person has said ‘Thank you’ in addition, you can say ‘you are welcome’ to the person and it will be accepted as a normal response.
You can also say ‘you are welcome’ if the person does not add thank you. This will seem rude since the phrase sounds like a conclusion and the person may still have questions to ask.
Oh. I don’t
You may be retelling something someone else has told you and you don’t really understand it. It’s possible that the person you are addressing understands what you are talking about.
The ‘oh I see’ response proves his or her understanding.
You can tell the person that you don’t understand the situation and you need him or her to explain it to you. You may also be discussing a person’s excuse.
‘Oh I see’ implies that the other person understands the excuse. You can give this response if you have a piece of information that nullifies the excuse.
You better not
This works in a specific situation so it is understandable if you can’t think of how it works yet. You may be speaking to your partner about someone you are fighting or competing with.
You may be talking about your opponent’s ideas or decisions which you believe makes sense.
While this response sounds negative, it shows that you are trying not to understand, or to ignore the fact that you understand it.
If your partner shows an understanding of your opponent’s good ideas, you can give this response. This means you both should show no understanding or mercy because of the competitive relationship.
I don’t think it’s time for that
This is similar to the phrase explained before this. ‘Oh I see’ is often used to refer to understanding but not always. In some cases, it may be a show of compassion for someone.
If the person you are talking about is your opponent, you may want to avoid showing any form of understanding or compassion.
If your partner says ‘oh I see’, you can keep him or her in check with this response. You can remind your partner that it is not time to show compassion for an opponent.
Make me understand
Just like some of the responses suggested earlier, this phrase implies that you don’t fully understand the information you just gave to your listener.
Since the person understands the situation, he or she should explain it to you.
Good to know
This response suggests that you are carefree. It may sound dismissive but how it sounds won’t matter to you if you really don’t care.
You can say this if the information you shared doesn’t really matter to you or if it isn’t weighty enough to warrant a reaction.
That’s not even all
This implies that you have only said a little out of all there is to be said. Not only do you have more to say but more that the person will be interested in.
You should only say this if the addition will be shocking or surprising to him or her.
How do you mean?
You may be giving mere information to a person and the ‘oh I see’ reaction is not expected.
When a person says ‘oh I see’ in this case, it may mean the information has helped him or her to understand something else.
If it is a friend, you can ask what the person is thinking about by asking this question.
Saves me the stress of elucidating
This is a suitable response if you haven’t actually explained anything. You may simply be staring at instructions that seem complex and may require your explanation.
Since the person already understands the instructions, you don’t need to worry about giving explanations anymore.