How to politely ask for clarification in German phone calls

Asking for clarification politely during a German phone call involves using courteous phrases and softening strategies. Here are some useful expressions for requesting clarification:

• “Entschuldigung, könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?” (“Excuse me, could you please repeat that?”)
• “Es tut mir leid, ich habe das nicht ganz verstanden. Könnten Sie das noch einmal sagen?” (“Sorry, I didn’t quite understand that. Could you say it again?”)
• “Könnten Sie das bitte etwas langsamer sagen?” (“Could you please speak a little slower?”)
• “Entschuldigen Sie, ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich Sie richtig verstanden habe.” (“Excuse me, I’m not sure if I understood you correctly.”)
• “Könnten Sie das bitte genauer erklären?” (“Could you please clarify that?”)
• “Was meinen Sie genau?” (“What exactly do you mean?”)

Tips for polite clarification in German phone calls:

• Use polite forms like “könnten Sie” or “würden Sie bitte” to soften requests.
• Add expressions like “Entschuldigung” or “Es tut mir leid” to show politeness and respect.
• If needed, request the speaker to speak more slowly or repeat specific parts.

Example in context:

“Entschuldigung, könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? Ich habe das nicht ganz verstanden.”
(“Excuse me, could you please repeat that? I didn’t quite understand.”)

These phrases are widely used in German telephone conversations and help maintain politeness while seeking clarification.

References

• A New Aligned Simple German Corpus

• MaiBaam Annotation Guidelines

• The Use of Phrases Containing misunderstanding in German Discussion Forums

• Asking the Obvious: Other-Repeats as Requests for Reconfirmation

• Conjectural questions: The case of German verb-final wohl questions