Korean Conversation Repair: Fixing Misunderstandings with '다시 말씀드릴게요'
Learn intermediate Korean strategies to repair misunderstandings in conversation. Focus on rephrasing, checking comprehension, and clarifying without losing politeness.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Even at intermediate level, misunderstandings happen. Maybe you used a wrong word, spoke too fast, or your listener misheard. This lesson teaches you how to repair the conversation smoothly in Korean. You will learn key phrases like '다시 말씀드릴게요' (Let me rephrase that) and '제가 잘못 말했어요' (I said it wrong). These are not just apologies; they are active repair moves that keep the conversation going. We focus on spoken Korean, with appropriate politeness for different relationships. By the end, you will be able to fix breakdowns quickly and naturally.
By the end, you can…
- rephrase a statement when the listener does not understand.
- check if my listener understood me correctly.
- clarify my own mistake in Korean without awkwardness.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
다시 말씀드릴게요.
Let me rephrase that.
da-si mal-sseum-deu-ril-ge-yo
Polite and humble; use when you want to say something again in a clearer way. Literally 'I will speak again'.
제가 잘못 말했어요.
I said it wrong.
je-ga jal-mot mal-hae-sseo-yo
Admitting your own mistake; softens the situation and invites correction.
다시 한 번 말씀해 주시겠어요?
Could you say that again?
da-si han beon mal-sseum-hae ju-si-ge-sseo-yo
Polite request for repetition; use with strangers or superiors.
제 말이 이해되세요?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
je ma-ri i-hae-doe-se-yo
Checking comprehension; polite but can sound slightly formal. For friends: '내 말 이해돼?'
다른 말로 하면...
In other words...
da-reun mal-lo ha-myeon
Introduces a rephrasing; useful when you want to explain differently.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern '-ㄹ게요' expresses a promise or intention to do something for the listener. Attach it to a verb stem: 다시 말하다 → 다시 말할게요 (I'll say it again). For politeness, use 말씀드리다 instead of 말하다: 다시 말씀드릴게요. This pattern is common in repair because it shows you are taking action to help. Another useful pattern is '-(으)면' meaning 'if/when': 다른 말로 하면 (if I say it in other words). Combine these to rephrase: 다른 말로 하면, 제가 다시 말씀드릴게요.
When to use it
Use repair phrases when you notice confusion: the listener frowns, says '네?' (pardon?), or gives an unrelated answer. For example, if you said '내일 시간 있어요?' but they thought you meant 'tomorrow' as a deadline, you can say '아, 다시 말씀드릴게요. 내일 만날 시간이 있어요?' (Ah, let me rephrase. Do you have time to meet tomorrow?). If you made a factual error, say '제가 잘못 말했어요. 사실은...' (I said it wrong. Actually...). With close friends, use casual forms: '다시 말할게' or '내가 잘못 말했어'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
어제 회의에서 무슨 일이 있었어요?
What happened at the meeting yesterday?eo-je hoe-ui-e-seo mu-seun i-ri i-sseo-sseo-yo?팀장님이 갑자기 계획을 바꿨어요. 그래서 저는 좀 당황했어요.
The team leader suddenly changed the plan. So I was a bit flustered.tim-jang-ni-mi gap-ja-gi gye-hoe-geul ba-kkwo-sseo-yo. geu-rae-seo jeo-neun jom dang-hwang-hae-sseo-yo.네? 잘 못 들었어요. 다시 말씀해 주시겠어요?
Pardon? I didn't hear well. Could you say that again?ne? jal mot deu-reo-sseo-yo. da-si mal-sseum-hae ju-si-ge-sseo-yo?아, 죄송해요. 다시 말씀드릴게요. 팀장님이 계획을 갑자기 바꿨어요. 그래서 당황했어요.
Ah, sorry. Let me rephrase. The team leader suddenly changed the plan. So I was flustered.a, joe-song-hae-yo. da-si mal-sseum-deu-ril-ge-yo. tim-jang-ni-mi gye-hoe-geul gap-ja-gi ba-kkwo-sseo-yo. geu-rae-seo dang-hwang-hae-sseo-yo.A little context goes a long way
In Korean, repair is often accompanied by a light apology like '죄송해요' or '미안해요' to show consideration. However, over-apologizing can seem excessive. Use '다시 말씀드릴게요' with superiors or strangers; with friends, '다시 말할게' is fine. Also, Koreans may use '네?' to signal non-hearing, but it can sound abrupt if used with elders; a more polite alternative is '다시 한 번 말씀해 주시겠어요?'
One thing to watch for
Using '다시 말해요' to mean 'Let me rephrase' in polite conversation.
Try this instead: '다시 말해요' is a command ('Say it again') and can sound rude. To offer to rephrase yourself, say '다시 말씀드릴게요' (I'll say it again) or '다시 말할게요' (I'll say it again, less formal). For example: '제가 다시 말씀드릴게요.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You realize you gave the wrong time for a meeting. How do you correct yourself politely?
Show a sample answer
제가 잘못 말했어요. 다시 말씀드릴게요. 회의는 3시예요.
This admits the mistake and offers to rephrase. '잘못 말했어요' is polite and direct. Alternatively, '제가 착각했어요' (I was mistaken) also works.
2Your friend looks confused after you explain something. What can you say to check if they understood?
Show a sample answer
내 말 이해돼?
This is casual and appropriate for friends. For polite situations, use '제 말이 이해되세요?' But note that this can sound formal; another option is '이해하셨어요?'
3You want to rephrase your previous sentence. What phrase introduces the rephrasing?
Show a sample answer
다른 말로 하면...
This literally means 'if I say it in other words' and smoothly introduces a rephrasing. You can follow with a clearer explanation.
Repair is a skill: when misunderstanding happens, stay calm and use phrases like '다시 말씀드릴게요' or '제가 잘못 말했어요' to fix it. Adjust politeness to your relationship, and check comprehension with '이해되세요?' when needed.
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