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I explained something in English, for example about the history of my hometown, without any preparation. I'm not sure if they understood what I said or not.
In order to make sure, which sentence should I use? I think that "Do you understand it?" sounds very rude, because the problem is my English. How about "Did I make myself understood?" Does it make sense? Could you tell me the polite sentences I can use in these situations?

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    You can always say "Was my English clear?" or "Was my explanation understandable?"
    – user264
    May 26, 2013 at 1:16

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You might try:

Did that make sense?

or

Did I say that correctly?

Both of these statements put the focus on the correctness of your speech, rather than any implication of the listener's inability to understand.

Your initial example of Did I make myself understood? is perfectly acceptable English and means what you want to say, but sounds a bit more formal. You're probably better off with one of the first two sentences, but you'd be understood if you said that.

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  • Thank you. Then, can I also say,"Does that make sense?"?
    – tennis girl
    May 26, 2013 at 0:59
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    @tennisgirl Yes, you certainly can! You can say either "did" or "does", it doesn't make a practical difference.
    – WendiKidd
    May 26, 2013 at 2:08
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    Does "Did I say that correctly?" ask if I was understood? I could be understood with my broken English, even if I didn't say something correctly, especially if I say the same wrong phrase over and over, and it is now clear what I mean when I use it. It probably depends from the person, and from the moment, but I can imagine the answer to be "I understood what you mean." "I understood what you mean, but [explanation of what I didn't say correctly]." "I am not sure I understood you; did you mean […]?"
    – apaderno
    May 26, 2013 at 9:17
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How about

Did I make myself understandable?

I'm just taking on the sentence logically.

"Did I make myself understood?" >> "Yes, you made yourself (or your speech) understood". That sounds like you, not your audience, understood.

"Did I make myself understandable?" >> "Yes, you (or your speech) are understandable". This just make a little more sense to me.

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