もう一度言って
mō ichido itte
The English phrase "say that again" is translated into Japanese as もう一度言って (mō ichido itte).
This phrase is used to request that someone repeat what they have just said. In casual conversation, you can also use the elliptical もう一度 (meaning "once more") on its own to mean "One more time?"
What does it mean word for word?
The part もう一度 (mō ichido) literally means "once more" or "one more time".
Which one should you use?
While もう一度言って is a direct request, you can use もう一回言って to be even more informal. In casual settings, the shorter もう一回 can also mean "one more time".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
もう一度言って is an informal or casual way to ask someone to repeat themselves. For a more polite request suitable for strangers or superiors, use もう一度言ってくれませんか. In very formal situations, you can use もう一度おっしゃってください or もう一度言っていただけますか.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can turn the casual request into a standard polite command by adding ください to the end, resulting in もう一度言ってください (Please say that again).
How do you pronounce it?
mō ichido itte
Did you know?
- In Japanese, if you want to ask someone to repeat themselves because you simply did not hear them, you might use the word 聞こえませんでした (kikoemasen deshita), which means 'it did not sound/audible'. This shifts the 'blame' of the failure to hear from your own lack of understanding to the sound itself.
- In high-pressure or formal settings, Japanese speakers often avoid saying もう一度 entirely and instead use すみません (sumimasen) while tilting their head to signal they didn't catch the information.
- While English speakers often use 'what?' or 'pardon?' to ask for repetition, doing so in Japanese can sound quite blunt or even rude if you do not use a polite verb form. Even a single word like え? (eh?) can be perceived as aggressive depending on your tone.
Examples in context
- もう一度言って。Say that again.This is a standard way to say "Say that again."Tatoeba #3506687 by arnab, translation #1841181 by CK
- もう一度言って！Say that again!This expresses the same phrase with more emphasis: "Say that again!"Tatoeba #10355884 by small_snow, translation #10355842 by shekitten
- もう一度言ってくれませんか。Could you please say that again?This is a polite way to ask "Could you please say that again?" using the form もう一度言って.Tatoeba #194301 by bunbuku, translation #6349916 by CK
- すみません、もう一度おっしゃってくださいExcuse me, please say that again.
- すみません、もう一度言っていただけますかExcuse me, could you say that again, please?
- もう一回言って、聞き逃したSay it again, I missed it.
- もう一度言ってくれる？Can you say that again?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking in a noisy cafe.
- 蓮 Ren今日はどこに行く？Kyō wa doko ni iku?Where are we going today?
- 美咲 Misaki駅前のカフェに行こう。Ekimae no kafe ni ikō.Let's go to the cafe in front of the station.
- 蓮 Renごめん、もう一度言って。Gomen, mō ichido itte.Sorry, say that again.
- 美咲 Misaki駅前のカフェだってば！Ekimae no kafe datte ba!I said the cafe in front of the station!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
