Disagreeing with someone in English can be hard. You don’t want to look rude, but you also want to make sure that people take you seriously.
Luckily, there's a way to combine these words and phrases in a simple structure to clearly and politely disagree.
Learn the Structure
Follow these steps to make sure you communicate your point without seeming rude.
Recognize the other person’s idea.
Explain that you disagree using “I” or “my” phrases.
Explain your idea with softening phrases.
Consider how this structure could work in this scenario:
Your friend is helping you move out of your place. Your friend thinks the best way to get the couch downstairs is to throw it out the window.
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You disagree.
There are two ways to disagree:
Impolitely
"No way. That would definitely not work. We should obviously use the stairs instead."
Politely
"I see what you mean, but I think that it might be better if we use the stairs instead."
Using this structure, while selecting thoughtful words and phrases can help you speak clearly and politely.
Quiz
Which part of the sentence is recognizing the other person’s idea?
1. Recognize the Other Person’s Idea
Before sharing your opinion, it's a good idea to begin by recognizing the other person's point of view.
What you say will depend on how formal the situation is.
More Formal
For professional or academic topics and situations, you can start with:
You raise an interesting point, but...
I understand your perspective, but...
I appreciate your point of view, but...
Less Formal
For more general topics or with friends and family, you can say:
That’s a good point, but…
I see where you’re coming from, but…
I hear what you’re saying, but…
I see what you mean, but…
You’re not wrong, but…
For example, if your friend suggests that the window is much faster than the stairs, you could say something like:
"I see where you're coming from, but speed isn't the only important thing today. We might hurt someone if we throw it out the window."
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2. Explain Why You Disagree with “I” or “My” Phrases
When you say that you disagree with someone, it can help to use phrases with the words “I” or “my” in them to sound more polite. This makes you sound like you don’t think the other person’s ideas are bad, but just that you disagree with them.
Once again, think about how formal your conversation is before selecting one.
More Formal
From my perspective...
From my point of view...
I would argue that...
It's my position that...
Less Formal
I think that...
In my opinion,...
I would say that...
I believe that...
In my experience,...
For example, imagine your friend wants to move the fridge with all the food in it because it would take less time.

You could say:
"You're not wrong, but I think that might make it too heavy."
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3. Explain Your Idea with Softening Phrases
To be 100% sure that you’re being polite while disagreeing, finish the structure by adding a softening phrase to the end.
More Formal
There’s the argument/opinion that...
Some would say...
There’s the possibility that...
In some cases, it's true that...
A lot of research/evidence suggests that....
Considering the complexity of the topic...
Less Formal
It could/might/may be a better idea to...
I think that could/might/may...
The words could/might/may are especially useful, because you can easily add them to your sentences to sound more polite and to soften your words.
For example, if your friend tells you the fridge would be much easier to move if you completely took it apart, you could say:
"You’re not wrong, but I think that could create more problems than it solves."
Using the Structure
Let's go back to the moving scenario. You're moving in with a new roommate, and you find yourself having a disagreement with him. He is convinced that it is wrong for you to keep meat in the fridge, because he is a vegan and thinks eating meat is immoral.

Using the structure above, what's the best way to explain to your roommate that your morals are different from his?
A. We should each act according to our own morals on the matter.
B. I understand your perspective, but it’s my position that, obviously, we should each act according to our own morals on the matter.
C. I understand your perspective, but it’s my position that, considering the complexity of the topic, we should each act according to our own morals on the matter.
D. You’re not wrong, but in my experience, it would be better if we each acted according to our own morals on the matter.
Quiz
What would be the best way to respond?
Take Action
Now that can politely disagree, you can freely share your opinion without worrying about offending anyone.
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