prego?
The English phrase "come again" can be translated into Italian as prego? Wiktionary also lists come scusa?
Meaning: could you repeat that (intj)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| prego? | |
| come scusa? | /ˈko.me ˈsku.za/ (word by word) |
These phrases are used as interjections to ask someone to repeat what they have just said because you did not hear or understand them.
Which one should you use?
prego? is a polite and common way to ask someone to repeat themselves.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more specific levels of formality, you can use the formal phrase Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you repeat, please?) or the formal Scusi, può ripetere quello che ha detto? (Excuse me, can you repeat what you said?). In informal settings, you can use Scusa, puoi ripetere? (Sorry, can you repeat?) or Cosa hai detto? (What did you say?).
Did you know?
- The word prego is actually a conjugated form of the verb 'pregare', which means 'to pray'.
- While prego? is often used to mean 'come again?', it also serves as the standard polite response to 'grazie' (thank you), much like 'you are welcome' in English.
- Prego is so versatile that it can also be used by a host to invite a guest to enter a room or sit down, meaning 'please, go ahead'.
Examples in context
- Scusa, puoi ripetere quella frase? Non l'ho capita bene.Sorry, could you repeat that sentence? I didn't understand it well.
- Può ripetere, per cortesia? La telefonata si è interrotta.Can you repeat, please? The call got disconnected.
- Prego?Come again?
- Non ho capito, prego?I didn't understand, could you say that again?
Example conversation
Chiara is telling Alessandro about a meeting time.
- AlessandroA che ora ci vediamo domani?What time are we meeting tomorrow?
- ChiaraAlle otto di sera.At eight in the evening.
- AlessandroPrego? Non ti ho sentito bene.Come again? I didn't hear you well.
- ChiaraHo detto alle otto!I said at eight!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come again” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (come, scusa) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries come, CC BY-SA 4.0.
