What do you think this question means? It is usually very easy to tell what a person has implied by asking this question. There are two meanings we can think of.
When a person asks this question, he or she either wants your opinion on something or is trying to tell you that you have done something that makes no sense.
If the question comes after you perform an action or play a joke, you should know that the question is a simple sarcastic condemnation of what you did. The person may also ask this question after saying something or showing you something. You are being asked for your opinion.
Below are 20 different ways you can respond to the question.
20 Great Responses to ‘Does it make sense?’
- Perfectly. I’m proud of you.
- How did you come up with this?
- I don’t understand yet.
- You don’t think so?
- Of course, it does.
- Nothing makes sense to you.
- I love it.
- This is brilliant.
- What do you think?
- I still need some explanation.
- Look on the bright side.
- I don’t see how it doesn’t.
- I need your opinion.
- It’s going to work
- Let’s discuss it, at least.
- It’s not your business, is it?
- You don’t understand yet?
- What makes you think it doesn’t?
- Just say what you have to say.
- Not to me.
Perfectly. I’m proud of you.
This question may come after the inquirer shares an idea with you. The person may have his or her opinion on what is being shown to you. However, he or she cares more about what you think.
This response is more suitable if you are talking to a younger person or a person who often depends on you. You are not only agreeing that it makes sense to you. You are showing it by exclaiming how you feel about it.
Saying you are proud of him or her will encourage the person. To show that you truly appreciate the idea, you can mention your understanding of the idea and discuss it with him or her.
- “What do you think of this idea? Does it make sense?”
- “Perfectly. I’m proud of you.”
How did you come up with this?
This question will convey mixed feelings and you will be have one or more pairs of eyes on you. The person will look at your face to try and discern how you truly feel about the idea or the thing you are being shown.
This question does in itself does not suggest what you think. It doesn’t tell if the idea makes sense or not. You can ask this question if you think the idea is great.
Asking this first before saying you like it will have more effect. It will show that you are truly impressed by the idea and you probably did not expect such a great idea from the person.
Also, you can ask this question if you don’t understand it. You can make the person explain first, then you can make your judgment. If you think the idea has faults, you can still ask this question, say that it is okay, then say some things that have to be changed.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “How did you come up with this? I love it but we should tweak it a little.”
I don’t understand yet.
The person may just be following up on the idea he or she shared with you earlier. If you don’t understand what the person has said or done, you can simply say so and ask for an explanation.
You may feel the urge to say it doesn’t make sense but it just may not make sense to be so explicit with it. While the person explains to you, you can express how you feel about the idea but do it lightly so you don’t hurt someone’s feelings.
- “Have you checked the file? Does it make sense?”
- “I don’t understand yet”
You don’t think so?
While the person may be asking you a question, you may just be able to tell if the person has an answer already. It may not be the person’s idea. The person may just share it with you so you may criticize it.
You should be able to tell if the person expects you to say no to the question. However, if you think the idea is not bad enough to be condemned entirely, you can say this and explain why the idea is not entirely bad.
- “See what Joe delivered this morning. Does this make sense?”
- “You don’t think so?”
Of course, it does.
If it is a normal idea that does not need excessive hyping from you, you can simply respond by saying ‘of course’. This response means that the idea makes sense to you.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Of course, it does.”
Nothing makes sense to you.
When a person asks this question, it may be a comment on another person’s idea or work. From the face of the speaker, you should be able to tell if he or she already thinks it makes sense of not.
The person may just be asking you to confirm that you agree with his or her opinion on the idea. The idea may also have been yours. The person can sarcastically ask this question to indirectly tell you that it makes no sense to him or her.
This response shows that you are not affected by the person’s opinion and you think otherwise.
- “ this make sense to you?”
- “Nothing makes sense to you.”
I love it.
This is another way to encourage a person’s idea or action. Your response will show that you like the idea and you are impressed by it.
You can choose to talk about it or just show your admiration for the idea or the person’s work. You will be putting a smile on his or her face with that.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Yes. I love it.”
This is brilliant.
Saying a compliment is one of the best ways to give encouragement to a person. When a person asks you this question concerning his or her idea or handwork, the person probably lacks confidence in himself or herself and thinks you will be a better judge of what is good and what isn’t.
If you find the work or idea beautiful, express it fully. Express how you feel about the heart but you have to be choosy with your words, especially if your review is not entirely positive.
By telling the person that his or her idea is brilliant, you will be giving the person the confidence to show you another piece of work. The confidence will keep growing till the person can discern which ideas or works make sense and which ones don’t
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Wow! This is brilliant.”
What do you think?
As mentioned earlier, the idea or work that you are being asked to review may be neither yours not the person asking the question. It may be something you are willing to use or just may be important to both of you. When the person asks you this question, he or she may have thought about it and concluded.
However, it is possible for the person to not have a conclusion. He or she may be as confused as you are and has only asked to know if you understand the idea.
There is also a chance that the person has a conclusion but has not made it obvious on his or her face. You can ask what the person thinks if you don’t see a clear suggestive expression on his face.
This response may also imply that you don’t understand the idea yet and you want to know what the other person thinks
- “Does this make sense?”
- “What do you think?”
I still need some explanation.
The idea could be the other person’s or from a third party. Your response suggests that the idea does not make sense to you.
However, you are not condemning the idea. You are indirectly implying that you can consider the idea if someone could help you see the sense in it.
- “Does this make sense?”
- 400;”>“I still need some explanation.”
Look on the bright side.
When you look at the person’s face and you sense his or her disapproval toward the idea, you can address it. This response suggests that you are willing to go with the idea.
However, it also implies that you do not think it’s a perfectly good idea but you can see some advantages which you are also telling your partner to look at.
This must be a third-party idea. It could also be your idea which you acknowledge is not entirely good.
- “Does it make sense to you?”
- “Well, look on the bright side. We get to avoid a lot of manholes here.”
I don’t see how it doesn’t.
This response directly tells the person that you believe the idea makes sense. It may have been something you did or an idea you raised. It could also be a third-party idea.
After saying this, you may have to give an explanation of how the idea makes sense whether it is asked of you or not. The person’s question clearly shows that he or she did not understand the idea. Explaining it will make it clear that he or she had concluded wrongly.
- “Does this even make sense?”
- “I don’t see how it doesn’t… let me explain it to you.”
I need your opinion.
The idea may be yours while the person’s question is an indirect way of telling you that your idea is horrible.
However, you don’t have to give up entirely. You can ask the person for his or her opinion on the idea so you’ll know where you must have failed to see.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “I need your opinion on it.”
It’s going to work
Both of you may be debating on an idea which you may employ. While the person’s questions suggest that the idea is bad and you both should not take it, this response implies that you think otherwise.
You think it’s a good idea and you are confident that it will work for whatever you
- – “Does that make any sense?”
- – “it is going to work. Believe me.”
Let’s discuss it, at least.
This may be your idea or someone else’s. This response does not suggest that you are fully in support of the idea but it shows that you have plans. You are implying that your partner should calm down and discuss the idea with you.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Let’s discuss it at least.”
It’s not your business, is it?
The idea may be yours or another person’s and the person asking this scornful question may not even be affected in any way. You may want to point that out.
- “What’s that? Does it even make sense?”
- “It’s not your business, is it?”
You don’t understand yet?
Just as the question makes it clear that the person does not understand the idea, this response will show that you don’t only understand the idea but you are also confident that it will work for you
After asking this question, you can explain why the idea makes sense to you.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “You don’t understand yet? Come see this.”
What makes you think it doesn’t?
You can ask this question just to know the person’s opinion. This response shows that you believe the idea makes sense.
However, this helps one of you to know better and you can decide whether to take the idea or not.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “What makes you think it doesn’t?”
Just say what you have to say.
This question suggests that the person has his or her opinions to share with you and he or she clearly disagrees with the idea.
You can let the person talk so you know if you are making a mistake.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Just say what you have to say”
Not to me.
It may be the person’s idea. If it doesn’t make sense to you, you can say it. You may also tell the person to explain further just so you don’t hurt the person’s feelings and sound dismissive.
- “Does this make sense?”
- “Not to me.”