Introduction
Knowing how to ask someone to repeat a sentence is one of the most useful phrases for beginner Spanish learners. This short guide explains simple, polite ways to say please repeat the sentence in Latin American Spanish, shows useful vocabulary, provides realistic examples, common mistakes, and quick practice tips for everyday situations.
- Basic phrase: how to politely ask for repetition
- Other useful variations
- Key vocabulary explained
- Practical examples in everyday contexts
- Politeness and formality guide
- Pronunciation tips for beginners
- Common beginner mistakes and how to fix them
- Quick practice exercises
- Short cheat sheet for your phone
- Final tips for confidence
- Conclusion
Basic phrase: how to politely ask for repetition
The simplest and most polite way to ask someone to repeat a sentence is to use a phrase that combines please and repeat. The core Spanish verb for repeat is repetir. For a polite request you can use the verb in the imperative or a question form with por favor. Here are the most useful beginner options.
Por favor, repita la frase
Por favor, repita la frase uses the formal imperative repita (from repetir) and is polite in classroom, customer service, or adult-to-adult situations.
Por favor, repite la frase
Por favor, repite la frase uses the informal imperative repite and is appropriate with friends, classmates, or people your age.
¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor?
¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor? uses a polite question with puede (can you). This is very common and sounds natural in many contexts.
¿Puedes repetir la frase, por favor?
¿Puedes repetir la frase, por favor? is the informal version using puedes.
Other useful variations
Sometimes you want to ask for the whole sentence, only part of it, or a slower repetition. These short variations will help you be specific and clear.
¿Puede repetir eso?
¿Puede repetir eso? is a short, polite way to ask someone to repeat what they just said without specifying sentence.
¿Puedes repetir eso?
¿Puedes repetir eso? is the informal equivalent.
¿Puede decir la frase otra vez?
¿Puede decir la frase otra vez? uses decir and otra vez (again). It is slightly less formal than repita but still polite.
¿Puede repetir más despacio?
¿Puede repetir más despacio? asks for the sentence to be repeated more slowly. Use this when you heard words but need slower speech.
¿Puedes repetir más despacio?
¿Puedes repetir más despacio? is informal and very common among learners.
¿Puede repetir la última parte?
¿Puede repetir la última parte? is useful if you heard most of the sentence but missed the end.
¿Cómo dijo?
¿Cómo dijo? literally asks how the speaker said it and is a casual quick way to prompt repetition.
Key vocabulary explained
Learning a few core words helps you adapt phrases quickly. Each word below appears in the sample phrases above.
repetir — to repeat. Root verb used in commands and polite requests.
frase — sentence or phrase. Use this when you want an entire sentence repeated.
por favor — please. Adds politeness to any request.
puede — can (formal you). From poder, used for polite questions with adults, teachers, or strangers.
puedes — can (informal you). Use with friends, classmates, or peers.
más despacio — more slowly. Useful when speed is the problem rather than volume or clarity.
otra vez — again. A casual way to ask for repetition.
Practical examples in everyday contexts
Here are realistic short dialogues and situations where a beginner might need to ask for a repetition. Each example shows both formal and informal options where appropriate.
Classroom: Teacher gives a sentence and a student misses a word.
Teacher: Por favor, complete la frase.
Student: ¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor?
Friend conversation at a café: You misheard part of a story.
Friend: …y luego llamó a su mamá.
You: ¿Puedes repetir eso?
Customer service: Someone gives directions quickly.
Agent: Camine dos cuadras y doble a la derecha.
Customer: Disculpe, ¿puede repetir más despacio?
Phone call: Bad connection, need the sentence repeated.
Caller: La reunión es a las tres de la tarde.
Receiver: ¿Cómo dijo? No escuché bien.
Language exchange: Partner speaks too fast.
Partner: Practiquemos otra conversación.
You: ¿Puedes repetir más despacio, por favor?
Politeness and formality guide
Choosing between formal and informal forms is simple for beginners: use formal when you do not know the person, when speaking to older people or in official situations; use informal with friends and peers. Using por favor adds politeness and is appropriate in almost every context.
Formal polite options
¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor?
Por favor, repita la frase.
Informal friendly options
¿Puedes repetir la frase?
Por favor, repite eso.
Pronunciation tips for beginners
Pronunciation matters less than clarity at the very start, but these simple tips will help you be understood when asking for repetition.
Say the r sound in repetir clearly but not rolled strongly; in Latin American Spanish single r is a light flap, close to the English d in ladder for some accents.
Stress the second syllable in repetir: re-pe-TIR.
Say por favor as por fa-VOR. Keep the syllables separate and avoid rushing the phrase.
Common beginner mistakes and how to fix them
Beginners often make small errors; here are common ones and easy corrections.
Wrong verb form: Using infinitive when you need an imperative. Incorrect: Por favor repetir la frase. Correct: Por favor, repita la frase.
Missing por favor: Omitting politeness can sound blunt. Add por favor to soften requests in most situations.
Using preguntar instead of repetir: Preguntar means to ask a question and is not the same as repeat. Incorrect: ¿Puede preguntar la frase? Correct: ¿Puede repetir la frase?
Direct word-for-word translation: English direct translation I-can-you-repeat? is incorrect order. Use ¿Puede repetir…? or ¿Puedes repetir…?
Quick practice exercises
Short, realistic practice helps you learn phrases fast. Try these exercises alone or with a partner.
1. Listen to audio or a class sentence. Immediately say ¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor? and compare the repeated sentence.
2. Role-play with a friend: One person reads short sentences quickly. The other practices ¿Puedes repetir más despacio?
3. Make flashcards: Front shows English prompt please repeat the sentence; back shows Por favor, repita la frase and an informal version.
4. Record yourself saying both formal and informal versions and listen for clear pronunciation of repita/repite and por favor.
Short cheat sheet for your phone
Save a small note with these three lines you can copy-paste when needed.
¿Puede repetir la frase, por favor? — formal polite
¿Puedes repetir la frase, por favor? — informal polite
¿Puede repetir más despacio? — ask to repeat more slowly
Final tips for confidence
Beginners often hesitate to ask for repetition. Remember that native speakers usually appreciate a clear request and will gladly repeat or slow down. Use por favor, choose formal or informal based on context, and practice a couple of forms until they feel natural.
Conclusion
Asking someone to repeat a sentence is an essential skill for beginner Spanish learners. Master the few simple phrases here — Por favor, repita la frase, ¿Puede repetir la frase?, and ¿Puede repetir más despacio? — and you will handle classroom, travel, and everyday conversations with more confidence and clarity.
