Spanish Repair Strategies: Fixing Misunderstandings Mid-Conversation
Learn intermediate Spanish phrases to repair misunderstandings in real time, such as asking to rephrase, clarify a word, or restart an idea clearly.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Even at intermediate level, conversations break down: you use the wrong word, your listener hears something different, or an idea comes out tangled. Repair strategies are the moves you make to fix the conversation itself, not to negotiate a deal or reach agreement. In Spanish, these often use verbs like repetir, aclarar, reformular, and querer decir, plus short frames such as Lo que quiero decir es... or Déjame decirlo de otra manera. This lesson gives you practical phrases to pause, rephrase, confirm, and restart without losing the thread.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone to repeat or rephrase something I did not understand.
- reformulate my own idea in simpler Spanish when the first attempt fails.
- confirm whether my listener understood me before continuing.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Me lo puedes repetir, por favor?
Can you repeat that for me, please?
meh loh PWEH-dehs reh-peh-TEER, por fah-BOR
Use when you missed the words, not the meaning. In Latin America, puedes is common; in Spain, puedes is also standard, but vosotros speakers may say ¿Me lo podéis repetir?
Déjame decirlo de otra manera.
Let me say it another way.
DEH-hah-meh deh-SEER-loh deh OH-trah mah-NEH-rah
Signals that you are about to rephrase your own idea. Useful after a confused reaction from your listener.
Lo que quiero decir es...
What I mean is...
loh keh KYEH-roh deh-SEER es
Introduces a clarification of your intended meaning, not a literal repetition. Very common in everyday conversation.
¿Me expliqué bien?
Did I explain myself clearly?
meh eks-plee-KEH been
A polite check after giving instructions or a complex idea. In some regions, ¿Me hice entender? is also used.
No te entendí. ¿Puedes aclararlo?
I didn't understand you. Can you clarify it?
noh teh en-ten-DEE. PWEH-dehs ah-klah-RAHR-loh
Direct but polite. Aclarar is common in Latin America for clarifying a point; in Spain, aclarar is also used, but explicar may be more frequent in some contexts.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Repair often uses a short frame plus an infinitive or a clause: Déjame + infinitive (Déjame explicarlo), Lo que quiero decir es + noun/clause (Lo que quiero decir es que no estoy de acuerdo), or ¿Puedes + infinitive? (¿Puedes repetirlo?). These frames let you pause the conversation and fix the message without starting over completely. For example: No entendí. ¿Puedes decirlo más despacio? Then, after rephrasing: Lo que quiero decir es que necesitamos más tiempo.
When to use it
Use repair when the problem is the conversation itself: a word was unclear, your grammar caused confusion, or you changed your mind mid-sentence. Do not use it to negotiate meaning in a business deal; that is a different skill. If someone looks confused, say ¿Me expliqué bien? If you are the one confused, say No te entendí. ¿Puedes aclararlo? If you need to rephrase, say Déjame decirlo de otra manera. Then give a simpler version: En otras palabras, no podemos ir hoy.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Oye, no entendí la última parte. ¿Me lo puedes repetir?
Hey, I didn't understand the last part. Can you repeat it for me?OH-yeh, noh en-ten-DEE lah OOL-tee-mah PAR-teh. meh loh PWEH-dehs reh-peh-TEERClaro. Lo que quiero decir es que la reunión es el jueves, no el miércoles.
Sure. What I mean is that the meeting is on Thursday, not Wednesday.KLAH-roh. loh keh KYEH-roh deh-SEER es keh lah reh-oo-NYOHN es el HWEH-vehs, noh el MYEHR-koh-lehsAh, ya. Entonces es el jueves. ¿Me expliqué bien ahora?
Ah, okay. So it's Thursday. Did I explain myself clearly now?ah, yah. en-TON-sehs es el HWEH-vehs. meh eks-plee-KEH been ah-OH-rahSí, perfecto. Déjame decirlo de otra manera: la reunión es el jueves a las diez.
Yes, perfect. Let me say it another way: the meeting is Thursday at ten.see, per-FEK-toh. DEH-hah-meh deh-SEER-loh deh OH-trah mah-NEH-rah: lah reh-oo-NYOHN es el HWEH-vehs ah lahs DYEHZA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American varieties, polite repair often includes por favor and a softener like oye or disculpa. In Spain, vale and ¿me lo repites? are common, and tú is standard with peers. In formal contexts, use usted: ¿Me lo puede repetir, por favor? Avoid sounding abrupt; adding por favor or disculpa keeps the repair cooperative rather than accusatory.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Cómo? alone to ask someone to repeat, especially with a sharp tone.
Try this instead: ¿Cómo? can sound brusque or even rude in some contexts. Prefer ¿Me lo puedes repetir, por favor? or ¿Perdón? For clarification of meaning, use ¿Qué quieres decir? or ¿A qué te refieres? Example: ¿A qué te refieres con 'mañana'? instead of just ¿Cómo?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You didn't understand a word your friend used. What can you say to ask for clarification?
Show a sample answer
¿Qué quieres decir con esa palabra?
This asks for the meaning of the word. You could also say ¿A qué te refieres? or ¿Puedes aclararlo? All are polite and keep the conversation moving.
2You gave a confusing explanation and want to rephrase. What phrase introduces your rephrasing?
Show a sample answer
Déjame decirlo de otra manera.
This signals a reformulation. You could also say Lo que quiero decir es... or En otras palabras... Each works, but Déjame decirlo de otra manera is explicit about rephrasing.
3You want to check if your listener understood your instructions. What question do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Me expliqué bien?
This checks comprehension politely. In some regions, ¿Me hice entender? is also common. Both are correct; choose the one you hear locally.
When conversation breaks down, pause and repair: ask for repetition, rephrase with Lo que quiero decir es..., and check with ¿Me expliqué bien? Keep it polite with por favor or disculpa.
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