How to Say Can You Repeat That in Spanish: 15 Natural Phrases

The most natural polite way to say “Can you repeat that?” in Spanish is ¿Puede repetir eso, por favor? /ˈpwe.ðe re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so poɾ faˈβoɾ/. With a friend or someone your age, say ¿Puedes repetir eso? /ˈpwe.ðes re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so/. Both phrases are understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world, but the best choice depends on whether you use informal tú /tu/ or formal usted /usˈteð/.

Spanish is spoken by more than 500 million native speakers, according to Ethnologue’s 2024 language profile, and it has official status in 20 sovereign states. That reach means accents and local habits vary, but asking for repetition politely is useful everywhere, from a taxi in Mexico City to a class in Madrid.

If you are still building listening confidence, pair these requests with a plan for Spanish listening practice. Asking someone to repeat themselves is not a failure. It is a practical conversation skill that keeps the interaction moving.

The safest phrase for almost every situation

¿Puede repetir eso, por favor? /ˈpwe.ðe re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so poɾ faˈβoɾ/ is the phrase to memorize first. It is courteous, clear, and appropriate when speaking to hotel staff, shop assistants, doctors, teachers, coworkers you do not know well, or older adults.

The verb repetir /re.peˈtiɾ/ means “to repeat.” Puede /ˈpwe.ðe/ is the formal “can you” form, while por favor /poɾ faˈβoɾ/ softens the request. The canonical pronunciation of por favor is “por fah-BOR.”

The Real Academia Española, or RAE, records repetir /re.peˈtiɾ/ as the standard verb for saying or doing something again. In real conversation, you will hear it constantly in classrooms, customer service exchanges, and family talk.

Choose tú or usted correctly

Spanish has two common ways to address one person: informal tú /tu/ and formal usted /usˈteð/. This distinction affects the verb form you choose.

Use ¿Puedes repetir eso? /ˈpwe.ðes re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so/ with friends, classmates, siblings, children, and peers in relaxed settings. It is friendly and direct, but not rude among people who already use tú /tu/ with each other.

Use ¿Puede repetir eso? /ˈpwe.ðe re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so/ when you would use usted /usˈteð/. The formal form remains especially common in Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, and parts of Central America when addressing unfamiliar adults, though local norms differ.

Linguist Henk Haverkate’s work on Spanish speech acts explains why indirect forms matter: requests are shaped not only by grammar but also by the social distance between speakers. Adding por favor /poɾ faˈβoɾ/, using usted /usˈteð/, or framing a request as a question can protect the other person’s social comfort.

¿Podría repetir eso?

For especially formal moments, say ¿Podría repetir eso? /poˈðɾi.a re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so/. This means “Could you repeat that?” and uses the conditional form podría /poˈðɾi.a/.

It is excellent in a meeting, an interview, a medical appointment, or a university office. It is polite without sounding theatrical.

Ask for a slower repeat

Sometimes the problem is not one missed word. The person may be speaking quickly, using an unfamiliar regional accent, or giving several details at once. In that case, ask for a slower version.

¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? /ˈpwe.ðe aˈβlaɾ mas desˈpa.sjo poɾ faˈβoɾ/ means “Can you speak more slowly, please?” You can use it before you are completely lost.

¿Podría repetirlo más despacio? /poˈðɾi.a re.peˈtiɾ.lo mas desˈpa.sjo/ means “Could you repeat it more slowly?” Here, lo /lo/ refers to what the person just said.

¿Puede hablar un poco más lento? /ˈpwe.ðe aˈβlaɾ um ˈpo.ko mas ˈlen.to/ is another natural option. Despacio /desˈpa.sjo/ and lento /ˈlen.to/ are both common, although hablar más despacio /aˈβlaɾ mas desˈpa.sjo/ often sounds more idiomatic for speech speed.

A complete version is Perdone, no entendí bien. ¿Podría repetirlo más despacio? /peɾˈðo.ne no en.tenˈdi βjen poˈðɾi.a re.peˈtiɾ.lo mas desˈpa.sjo/. This is ideal when someone gives you directions, explains a price, or shares important information.

Casual ways to ask for repetition

In fast conversation with friends, Spanish speakers often use very short repair questions. The most common is ¿Cómo? /ˈko.mo/. Despite literally meaning “how?”, it can mean “Sorry?” or “What did you say?”

The tone is decisive. A neutral rising intonation makes ¿Cómo? /ˈko.mo/ sound like a simple request for repetition. A sharp tone can sound impatient, especially with a stranger.

¿Qué? /ke/ also asks for repetition, but it can be blunter. In many families and friend groups it is completely normal. In a formal exchange, replace it with ¿Cómo? /ˈko.mo/, ¿Perdón? /peɾˈðon/, or a full question.

¿Mande? /ˈman.de/ is a notably polite and warm alternative in Mexico and parts of Central America. It literally comes from a verb associated with “command,” but in modern everyday use it means something like “Yes?” or “Pardon?” after someone speaks to you.

If you are unsure, use Perdón, ¿cómo? /peɾˈðon ˈko.mo/. That small addition makes a casual request sound noticeably gentler.

Ask them to repeat one specific part

A useful listener does not always make the speaker repeat everything. If you understood most of the sentence, identify the missing piece.

Say ¿Cómo se dice? /ˈko.mo se ˈði.se/ when you missed a word and want the person to say it again. For example: ¿Cómo se dice el nombre de la calle? /ˈko.mo se ˈði.se el ˈnom.bɾe ðe la ˈka.ʎe/ means “How do you say the name of the street?”

Say ¿Qué significa eso? /ke siɣ.niˈfi.ka ˈe.so/ when you heard the word but do not know its meaning. This is different from asking for repetition. It asks for explanation.

For spelling, say ¿Me lo puede deletrear? /me lo ˈpwe.ðe de.le.tɾeˈaɾ/ meaning “Can you spell it for me?” This is invaluable for names, addresses, hotel reservations, and unfamiliar place names.

The phrase otra vez /ˈo.tɾa βes/ means “again.” It appears throughout the Spanish-speaking world and is especially handy when a person has just told you a bus number, time, or address.

When you did not understand at all

If repetition alone will not solve the problem, say No entendí /no en.tenˈdi/, “I did not understand.” This is simple, honest, and more useful than pretending you followed the conversation.

A more polite version is No entendí, ¿me puede explicar? /no en.tenˈdi me ˈpwe.ðe eks.pliˈkaɾ/, meaning “I did not understand, can you explain it to me?” The verb explicar /eks.pliˈkaɾ/ invites the speaker to rephrase, not merely repeat the same words.

For an unfamiliar accent or a difficult audio message, try No entendí la última parte /no en.tenˈdi la ˈul.ti.ma ˈpaɾ.te/, “I did not understand the last part.” It tells the person exactly where communication broke down.

This kind of direct clarification is more effective than repeatedly saying ¿Qué? /ke/. As you learn the phrases in our Spanish greeting guide, practice them aloud after a greeting so they become automatic in real encounters.

Regional differences worth knowing

The core phrase ¿Puede repetir eso, por favor? /ˈpwe.ðe re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so poɾ faˈβoɾ/ travels well. Still, small regional choices can make your Spanish sound more locally aware.

In Spain, you may hear ¿Puedes repetirlo? /ˈpwe.ðes re.peˈtiɾ.lo/ often among peers. In much of Latin America, ¿Me lo repite? /me lo reˈpi.te/ is very natural in shops, restaurants, and everyday service interactions.

In Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Central America, speakers may use vos /bos/ rather than tú /tu/. The equivalent casual question becomes ¿Podés repetir eso? /poˈðes re.peˈtiɾ ˈe.so/. You do not need to force this form as a visitor, but recognizing it will improve your listening.

Spanish also has regional vocabulary and pronunciation differences, as the Instituto Cervantes documents in its work on the global language. Prioritize clarity over imitation. A respectful standard phrase is better than using local slang you do not fully control.

Pronunciation points that make the request clearer

In puede /ˈpwe.ðe/ and puedes /ˈpwe.ðes/, the initial sound is a quick pue /pwe/ glide, not two fully separate English-style syllables. Say “PWEH-deh” or “PWEH-dehs.”

The Spanish r in repetir /re.peˈtiɾ/ is a light tap, especially between vowels. Do not turn it into a heavy English /ɹ/. A single quick tap is enough.

In many regions, the d in puede /ˈpwe.ðe/ sounds soft, similar to the sound in English “this.” In much of Spain, c before e in puede does not occur, but z and soft c elsewhere may differ from Latin American pronunciation. Your request will be understood in either major pronunciation pattern.

The stress in repetir /re.peˈtiɾ/ falls on the final syllable, re-pe-TIR. In despacio /desˈpa.sjo/, stress the middle: des-PA-cio.

A practical mini-script for real conversations

Use this sequence when you miss something important:

1. Start politely: Perdón /peɾˈðon/ or Disculpe /disˈkul.pe/.
2. State the issue: No entendí bien /no en.tenˈdi βjen/.
3. Make the request: ¿Podría repetirlo más despacio? /poˈðɾi.a re.peˈtiɾ.lo mas desˈpa.sjo/.
4. Confirm the key detail: ¿Entonces es a las tres? /enˈton.ses es a las tɾes/, “So it is at three?”

This approach is polite because it acknowledges the speaker, explains your difficulty, and gives them a clear way to help. It also helps you avoid leaving with the wrong time, price, address, or instruction.

For more practical phrases that keep conversations going, learn how to say goodbye in Spanish and build a small set of dependable conversation repairs. The goal is not to understand every word immediately. The goal is to know what to say when you do not.