¿Puedes repetir?
The English phrase "can you repeat?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Puedes repetir?
This phrase is used to request that someone say something again because you did not hear or understand it.
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿Puedes repetir? is informal. For a more polite and indirect way to ask someone to repeat themselves, you can use the conditional mood in the form ¿Podría repetir?
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to someone in a formal context, such as a stranger, an elder or a superior, use the formal ¿Puede repetir? instead of the informal conjugation. The default form ¿Puedes repetir? uses the informal tú conjugation.
Did you know?
- The verb repetir is used in Spanish to describe the act of having a second helping of food. If a waiter asks if you want to repetir, they are asking if you want more of your dish.
- The word repetir is a learned borrowing from the Latin repetere, which originally meant 'to strike back' or 'to seek again'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, instead of asking to repeat, you might simply say ¿Cómo? or ¿Mande? The latter is especially common in Mexico as a very polite way to acknowledge you did not hear.
Examples in context
- ¿Podría repetir, por favor? No pude escuchar bien.Could you repeat, please? I couldn't hear well.
- Oye, ¿puedes decirlo otra vez? No te escuché bien.Hey, can you say it again? I didn't hear you well.
- Disculpe, ¿puede repetir eso? No alcancé a entenderlo.Excuse me, can you repeat that? I didn't catch it.
- ¿Puedes repetir, por favor?Can you repeat, please?
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking on the phone with a bad connection.
- MateoHola Sofía, llegamos a las cinco.Hi Sofía, we arrive at five.
- SofíaPerdón, no te oí. ¿Puedes repetir?Sorry, I didn't hear you. Can you repeat?
- MateoDije que llegamos a las cinco.I said that we arrive at five.
- SofíaPerfecto, Mateo. Nos vemos entonces.Perfect, Mateo. See you then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries repetir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
