You said it. Your colleague went quiet. You didn’t know why.

“That makes no sense for me.”

In German, Das macht für mich keinen Sinn is neutral. You’re saying something doesn’t fit your thinking. Clear. Direct. Completely normal.

In English, it lands harder.

“Makes no sense” sounds like a verdict – like you’re saying the idea is confused or the person isn’t thinking straight. The “for me” doesn’t soften it the way für mich does in German.

Nobody corrects you. Nobody explains why the room shifted.

What you probably meant:

✔ I’m not sure I follow.
✔ I’d see it differently.
✔ That doesn’t quite work for me.
✔ Could you explain that differently?

Same thought. Much softer landing.

The problem isn’t your English. It’s that German directness translates differently – and nobody ever tells you.

This is one of the things we work on in coaching. Not fixing your English, but understanding where it lands differently than you expect.