Which one should you use?
While ¿puedes repetir eso? is a standard way to phrase the request, you can also use the shorter, very common expression ¿Cómo? in casual conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use ¿puedes repetir eso? with friends, family or people your own age. If you are speaking to a stranger, an elder or someone in a position of authority, use the formal version ¿puede repetir eso? to be polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase sound more natural, you can replace the demonstrative pronoun eso with the object pronoun lo attached to the infinitive, resulting in ¿puedes repetirlo?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often omit the object and say ¿Puedes repetir? While this is understandable, adding the object (either eso or lo) makes the sentence feel more complete in Spanish.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people may simply say ¿Mande? to ask for a repetition. This is especially common in Mexico and stems from a historical tradition of showing extreme deference to authority.
- The word repetir comes from the Latin repetere, which literally means 'to strike back' or 'to hit back'.
- While ¿Cómo? is used to ask someone to repeat themselves, it literally means 'How?' In some Spanish-speaking cultures, using ¿Qué? instead can be perceived as blunt or impolite.
Examples in context
- Lo siento, ¿puedes repetir eso?I'm sorry, can you repeat that?
- No te escuché, ¿puedes repetir eso?I didn't hear you, can you repeat that?
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking in a noisy cafe.
- Mateo¡Hola, Elena! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Elena! How are you?
- Elena¡Hola, Mateo! Muy bien, gracias.Hi, Mateo! Very well, thanks.
- MateoPerdona, ¿puedes repetir eso? Hay mucho ruido.Excuse me, can you repeat that? It is very noisy.
- ElenaSí, dije que estoy muy bien.Yes, I said I am very well.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eso, repetir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
