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How to politely ask to repeat information in Spanish

Fluent Phone Conversations in Spanish: Key Phrases You Need: How to politely ask to repeat information in Spanish
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To politely ask someone to repeat information in Spanish, the safest choices are ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?, Perdón, ¿me puede repetir eso?, and Disculpe, no entendí bien, ¿puede repetir? These forms sound natural in both everyday conversation and more formal situations.

  • ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? (Could you please repeat that?)
  • Disculpe, no entendí bien, ¿puede repetir? (Excuse me, I didn’t understand well, can you repeat?)
  • Perdón, ¿me puede repetir eso? (Sorry, can you repeat that to me?)
  • ¿Me podría decirlo de nuevo, por favor? (Could you tell me that again, please?)
  • Lo siento, no escuché bien, ¿puede repetir? (Sorry, I didn’t hear well, can you repeat?)

These expressions use polite forms such as podría and puede and include por favor to show politeness and respect. Using polite question formats with words like disculpe or perdón also softens the request and shows courtesy. These are common and appropriate in formal or everyday settings to ask for repetition politely in Spanish.

How the politeness works

Spanish has several layers of politeness, and requests for repetition are a good place to use them. The most useful signals are:

  • Podría: the conditional form of poder, which softens the request.
  • Puede: direct but still polite in many contexts, especially with por favor.
  • Disculpe: a respectful way to get attention, similar to “excuse me.”
  • Perdón: a lighter apology or softener, very common in conversation.
  • Por favor: adds courtesy, especially when the request is short.

In practice, the combination matters as much as the individual word. ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? sounds more careful and formal than ¿Repite?, which would usually feel abrupt.

When to use each phrase

Different situations call for slightly different wording:

Formal situations

In a shop, office, classroom, or when speaking with someone older or unfamiliar, use:

  • ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?
  • Disculpe, no entendí bien, ¿puede repetir?
  • ¿Me podría decirlo de nuevo, por favor?

These keep the tone respectful without sounding overly stiff.

Everyday conversation

With friends, classmates, or in casual settings, shorter forms are very common:

  • Perdón, ¿me puede repetir eso?
  • ¿Otra vez, por favor?
  • ¿Cómo?

The very short ¿Cómo? is widely used, but it can sound abrupt if repeated too often or if the speaker’s tone is sharp. Adding perdón or por favor makes it safer and friendlier.

When the problem is hearing, not understanding

If the issue is that the sentence was not heard clearly, it is natural to say:

  • Lo siento, no escuché bien, ¿puede repetir?
  • Perdón, no oí bien.

If the problem is understanding the meaning, no entendí bien is more accurate than no escuché bien.

Useful variations in real conversation

Spanish speakers often use small changes to specify what needs repeating.

  • ¿Puede repetir la última parte? — Can you repeat the last part?
  • ¿Podría decirlo más despacio, por favor? — Could you say it more slowly, please?
  • ¿Qué quiere decir con eso? — What do you mean by that?
  • ¿Puede hablar un poco más alto? — Can you speak a little louder?

These are helpful because sometimes repeating the whole message is not necessary. Asking for just the last part or for slower speech can be more efficient than starting over.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few forms are grammatically possible but can sound unnatural or too direct in polite conversation.

  • Repite, por favor can sound too blunt unless the relationship is very informal.
  • ¿Puede repetirme? is understandable, but ¿Me puede repetir eso? or ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? is more complete and natural.
  • No entiendo is useful, but on its own it can sound more abrupt than Disculpe, no entendí bien.
  • Overusing ¿Cómo? can make the exchange sound impatient, even when that is not intended.

A polite request usually works best when it includes a softener, a clear request, and sometimes a reason: no entendí, no escuché, or se me pasó (“I missed that”).

Pronunciation notes

A few pronunciation details help these phrases sound natural:

  • podría is pronounced with the stress on the middle syllable: po-DRÍ-a.
  • perdón has stress on the second syllable: per-DÓN.
  • disculpe is pronounced dis-KUL-pe.
  • In fast speech, ¿me puede repetir eso? often sounds like a smooth single phrase rather than separate words.

Listening for these words matters because they often signal that a speaker is being polite even before the full sentence is finished. In speaking practice, repeating these patterns aloud helps build automatic recall, which is one reason conversation practice tends to improve real-time comprehension faster than passive study alone.

Quick reference

  • Most polite: ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?
  • Very common and natural: Perdón, ¿me puede repetir eso?
  • Formal and respectful: Disculpe, no entendí bien, ¿puede repetir?
  • Short and casual: ¿Cómo? or ¿Otra vez, por favor?

Mini FAQ

Is puede polite enough on its own?

Yes, in many situations it is. Adding por favor or disculpe makes it sound more polite and less direct.

Is perdón better than disculpe?

Neither is universally better. Perdón is very common and conversational; disculpe is slightly more formal and respectful.

What if only one word was missed?

A focused question is often best: ¿Qué palabra dijo? or ¿Puede repetir la última palabra? That keeps the exchange clear and efficient.

Can ¿Cómo? be rude?

It can sound sharp if used alone or too often. In many contexts, ¿Perdón? or ¿Cómo, por favor? sounds softer.

References