¿cómo?
To say 'say again' in Spanish, you use ¿cómo? in its default form.
This phrase is used to request that someone repeat what they have just said because you did not hear or understand them.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness you use depends on the situation. For a common and informal way to ask someone to repeat themselves, use ¿cómo? or ¿Puedes repetirlo? and Oye, ¿puedes decirlo otra vez? If you want to be more polite and soft, use ¿Perdón? or ¿Cómo dijo? For formal, professional or respectful settings, use ¿Puede repetir, por favor?, ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor? or ¿Puede volver a decirlo, por favor?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ¿Cómo dijo? is a polite way to ask someone to repeat themselves by using the third-person singular formal conjugation.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use 'What?' to mean 'Say again?', but using just ¿qué? in Spanish can often sound abrupt or even rude depending on the tone.
Did you know?
- The use of ¿mande? as a way to say 'say again' is deeply rooted in Mexico's colonial history, originally used to show submission and respect to superiors.
- The word 'perdón' used in ¿Perdón? literally means 'pardon' or 'forgiveness', turning the request to repeat into a small apology for not hearing correctly.
- Using ¿cómo? with a specific rising intonation can shift the meaning from a request for repetition to a challenge of the speaker's logic.
Examples in context
- Perdona, no entendí bien, ¿puedes repetirlo de forma más clara, por favor?Sorry, I didn't understand well, can you repeat it more clearly, please?
- Disculpa, podría repetir eso último, no capté la idea.Excuse me, could you repeat that last part? I didn't get the idea.
- ¿Puedes repetirlo más despacio, por favor?Can you say it slower, please?
- ¿Cómo? No te oí.Say again? I didn't hear you.
- Lo siento, ¿cómo?I'm sorry, say again?
- ¿Cómo? Habla más despacio, por favor.Say again? Speak more slowly, please.
Example conversation
In a noisy coffee shop, Sofía asks Alejandro to repeat himself.
- Sofía¿Qué dijiste?What did you say?
- AlejandroQue el café está muy caliente.That the coffee is very hot.
- Sofía¿Cómo? No escuché bien.Say again? I didn't hear well.
- AlejandroDije que el café está caliente.I said the coffee is hot.
