How to Ask Someone to Repeat Themselves Politely in Spanish
Learn intermediate Latin American Spanish phrases for asking someone to repeat what they said, from casual ¿Cómo? to formal ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
When you miss a word in Spanish, how you ask for repetition matters as much as the grammar. A bare ¿Qué? can sound abrupt, and repeating ¿Cómo? with a sharp tone can seem annoyed. This lesson gives you a graded set of polite formulas for asking someone to say something again, from relaxed conversation with friends to formal situations with strangers, doctors, or officials. You will practice the key verbs repetir and decir, the conditional podría, and the placement of por favor. We focus only on asking for repetition, not on asking what a word means or how something works.
By the end, you can…
- ask a friend to repeat something casually without sounding rude
- use conditional and polite forms like ¿Podría repetir eso? with strangers or in formal settings
- choose the right phrase based on tone, region, and how much of the sentence I missed
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cómo?
What? / Sorry, what did you say?
KOH-moh
Very common in Latin America. With a gentle, rising tone it means 'Sorry, I didn't catch that.' Avoid a sharp, falling tone, which can sound annoyed or challenging.
¿Perdón?
Pardon? / Sorry?
pehr-DOHN
Safe and polite in most of Latin America. Works in shops, offices, and with people you don't know. Slightly more formal than ¿Cómo? but still natural in everyday speech.
¿Puedes repetir eso?
Can you repeat that?
PWEH-dehs reh-peh-TEER EH-soh
Tú form, used with friends, family, and peers. In Argentina and Uruguay you will hear ¿Podés repetir eso? instead. Add por favor to soften it further.
¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?
Could you repeat it, please?
poh-DREE-ah reh-peh-TEER-loh por fah-VOR
Formal and very polite. Use with strangers, older people, doctors, or officials. The conditional podría softens the request. In Spain, ustedes speakers may also hear ¿Podrían repetirlo?
¿Me lo repites más despacio, por favor?
Could you repeat it more slowly for me, please?
meh loh reh-PEE-tehs mahs dehs-PAH-syoh por fah-VOR
Use when the problem is speed, not volume. The pronoun lo refers to what was said. In Rioplatense Spanish, use ¿Me lo repetís más despacio?
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Most polite requests follow a simple frame: a softener plus the verb repetir plus the thing repeated. Compare ¿Puedes repetir eso? (tú, informal), ¿Puede repetirlo? (usted, formal), and ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? (very polite). The pronoun lo often replaces 'it': ¿Me lo repite? means 'Could you repeat it to me?' Adding por favor at the end is standard and never sounds excessive in Latin American Spanish. You can also name the missing part: ¿Me repite la última palabra?
When to use it
Choose your phrase by relationship and setting. With close friends, ¿Cómo? or ¿Perdón? is enough. With coworkers you don't know well, use ¿Puedes repetir eso, por favor? With a doctor, a bank clerk, or an official, use ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? If you understood the words but not the speed, say ¿Más despacio, por favor? If you missed only one word, point to it: ¿Me repite esa palabra? In noisy places, ¿Puede hablar más alto, por favor? is also useful.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenos días, ¿me puede decir su nombre completo, por favor?
Good morning, can you tell me your full name, please?BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs, meh PWEH-deh deh-SEER soo NOHM-breh kohm-PLEH-toh por fah-VORPerdón, ¿podría repetirlo más despacio, por favor?
Sorry, could you repeat it more slowly, please?pehr-DOHN, poh-DREE-ah reh-peh-TEER-loh mahs dehs-PAH-syoh por fah-VORClaro. María Fernanda Rojas. ¿Me repite su número de teléfono?
Of course. María Fernanda Rojas. Could you repeat your phone number for me?KLAH-roh. mah-REE-ah fehr-NAHN-dah ROH-hahs. meh reh-PEE-teh soo NOO-meh-roh deh teh-LEH-foh-nohSí, con gusto. Es el 555 1234.
Yes, gladly. It's 555 1234.see, kohn GOOS-toh. ehs ehl kee-NEE-ehn-tohs bee-EHN-tee eel kee-NEE-ehn-tohs bee-EHN-tee eel kee-NEE-ehn-tohs bee-EHN-tee eel kee-NEE-ehn-tohsA little context goes a long way
Politeness in Spanish often comes from tone and softeners more than from a single magic word. In much of Latin America, a rising ¿Cómo? is perfectly polite, but a flat or falling ¿Qué? can sound confrontational. In Argentina and Uruguay, vos replaces tú, so you will hear ¿Podés repetirlo? and ¿Me lo repetís? rather than ¿Puedes? and ¿Me lo repites?
One thing to watch for
Using a bare ¿Qué? to ask someone to repeat themselves.
Try this instead: ¿Qué? usually means 'What?' as a surprised or blunt question and can sound rude. Use ¿Cómo? or ¿Perdón? instead. For example, say ¿Perdón, me lo repite, por favor? rather than ¿Qué?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are talking to a doctor you just met and missed a sentence. Which phrase is most appropriate?
Show a sample answer
¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?
The conditional podría plus por favor marks formal politeness, which fits a professional you don't know well. ¿Cómo? would be too casual here, though it is fine with friends.
2A friend in Buenos Aires speaks too fast. What can you say using the local form?
Show a sample answer
¿Me lo repetís más despacio, por favor?
In Rioplatense Spanish, vos is used instead of tú, so repetís replaces repites. In other regions, ¿Me lo repites más despacio, por favor? is equally correct.
3You only missed one word in an otherwise clear sentence. What is a precise way to ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Me repite esa palabra, por favor?
Naming the missing item is efficient and polite. You could also say ¿Cómo se dice...? but that asks for a translation or explanation, which is a different skill.
Keep two or three phrases ready: ¿Cómo? or ¿Perdón? for friends, and ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? for formal situations. Add por favor and a gentle rising tone, and you will sound polite every time.
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