Stop Saying "I Have a Doubt"

I have a YouTube channel for Computer Aided Design (CAD). The country that provides the biggest source of my audience is India. This makes sense given that it has over 1.4 billion people.

For years, I have noticed that people from India will preface a question with “I have a doubt.” 

Stop doing this. 

It does not sound right in English, especially to people from the United States. (It doesn’t sound right in the same way that people from India will say “softwares.” But that is a discussion for another blog post.)

I am learning Spanish, so I certainly understand how meaning gets lost in translation. For example, Spanish has separate words for ‘question’ (pregunta) and ‘doubt’ (duda). However, in an academic or professional setting, a person asking for questions will use the word for doubt. The literal translation would be “Any doubts?” when it means “Any questions?”

Why Indian English is This Way

In English as taught in India, the word “doubt” has experienced what is called a “semantic extension.” It doesn’t just mean doubt as you would expect, but it can also mean “question” or “request for clarification.” 

The Indian words for doubt also cover “confusion” and “uncertainty.” Teachers in India routinely ask their students “Any doubts?” Teachers also encourage students to “clear their doubts.”

Why You Shouldn’t Use It

In English, though, saying “I have a doubt” comes across as challenging or even adversarial and confrontational. “I doubt that” is the friendly way of saying someone is wrong or lying. 

“I have a doubt” is especially adversarial when someone says it in response to the delivery of technical information. It is like saying, “I don’t believe you,” “I don’t believe this is true,” or “I don’t believe what you just showed works.”

If you wish to preface your question with a statement, it is much better to say “I have a question” instead of “I have a doubt.”

But…

This is unnecessary.

There is no need to preface your question with a statement.

You don’t have to make a declarative statement before asking a question. The question makes it known that you have a question. People can tell by your tone, sentence structure, and context that you are asking a question. Prefacing your question with a statement is redundant and unnecessary - and as I have explained, risks offending the person you are asking.

I like the website “Don’t Ask to Ask.” Many people have a bad habit of asking if they can ask a question. For example, some people will ask, “Can I ask you a question?” Or they will post on a forum, “I have some questions about X. Is there anybody I can ask?” Don’t do this. Just ask the question.

In the same vein, don’t state that you have a question (or a doubt). Just ask the question.