海外同僚に突然質問されたあの瞬間、上手い人は何と言っているか。

Picture this: you're in a video call with overseas colleagues, someone asks you a question, and your brain just... freezes. You want to say "ちょっと待って" but nothing comes out. Sound familiar? Remote work has made this kind of moment way more common — and way more visible, since everyone is literally staring at your face on screen.

The good news is that native speakers buy time all the time — and they have some really smooth ways to do it.

When you need a second to think, try "Let me just pull up my notes real quick." It sounds professional and buys you some time without any awkward silence.

When you didn't quite catch what someone said — super common with different accents on Zoom — don't just nod along. Instead, say "Sorry, could you run that by me again?" It's polite, casual, and nobody thinks less of you for asking.

And when you want to jump in with your opinion but don't want to interrupt rudely, "Can I jump in here?" works like a charm. In Japanese meetings, we tend to wait for a clear pause — but in many Western-style remote calls, this kind of verbal signal is actually expected. Staying silent can sometimes read as having nothing to say.

One more gem: when a meeting is going way off track, "Let's circle back to the main point" is your best friend. It's assertive without being rude — and honestly, whoever says it usually ends up sounding like the most organized person in the room.