If I'm not mistaken
Example: If I'm not mistaken, the meeting starts at nine.
Definition
"If I'm not mistaken" is an expression used to indicate that the speaker believes something to be true but is open to correction. It often precedes a statement to soften it or show uncertainty, as in 'If I'm not mistaken, the meeting starts at nine.'
Etymology
The phrase "if I'm not mistaken" combines the conditional 'if' with the first-person pronoun 'I' and the past participle 'mistaken'. It originates from English usage where 'mistaken' means 'to be wrong.' Did you know? This polite phrase helps speakers avoid sounding overly confident or confrontational.
Learn to use this expression actively
"If I'm not mistaken" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (B2) - set 1", containing 103 commonly used expressions.
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