I hear what you say
What it really means
A famous example of British indirectness. It often means "I disagree and I do not want to discuss it any further", not "I accept your point". If someone truly agrees, they usually say so more clearly.
Context, tips & common mistakes
This phrase became internationally famous through the much-shared "Anglo-EU translation guide", which glossed it as "I disagree and do not want to discuss it further" — and in British meetings that is usually accurate. The tell is what follows: genuine agreement continues the topic ("…and I think you're right, let's change it"), while the dismissive version is immediately followed by "anyway", "moving on" or a subject change. Related soft-block phrases work the same way: "I take your point", "noted", and "let's discuss this offline" often close a topic rather than open it. For newcomers the practical skill is not saying the phrase but recognising when it has been said to you: pushing the same argument harder in the meeting rarely works. Instead, follow up afterwards in writing or one-to-one — "could we come back to the deadline question?" — which lets the other person reconsider without losing face in front of the group.