Introduction
Learning how to ask someone to repeat themselves is one of the first practical skills you need when starting Spanish. This article explains how and when to use ¿Puedes repetir? and related phrases, with clear examples, vocabulary, common mistakes, and beginner-friendly tips for everyday situations.
- Why learn ¿Puedes repetir? first?
- Basic forms and polite alternatives
- When to use each form
- How to add context or specify what you missed
- Pronunciation tips for beginners
- Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
- Practice activities for beginners
- Related vocabulary and phrases
- Real-life scenarios and sample sentences
- How to respond when someone asks you to repeat
- Practice schedule for fast progress
- Common cultural note
- Conclusion
Why learn ¿Puedes repetir? first?
Hearing comprehension is a big challenge for beginners. Asking someone to repeat something politely keeps conversations going and reduces embarrassment. ¿Puedes repetir? is a direct, useful phrase for friendly or neutral situations. It helps you in classrooms, stores, restaurants, public transport, and casual chats.
What ¿Puedes repetir? literally means
¿Puedes comes from the verb poder and means can you. repetir means to repeat. Together, ¿Puedes repetir? literally asks can you repeat. It is informal and appropriate for peers, service workers, and people you address with the informal tú.
Basic forms and polite alternatives
There are several ways to ask for repetition depending on politeness, formality, and context. Learn these core alternatives so you can choose the right one.
Informal, common
¿Puedes repetir?
Polite / formal
¿Puede repetir?
Very polite / complete
¿Puede repetir, por favor?
Alternative phrasing
¿Puedes repetirlo?
¿Puede repetirlo?
Asking for clarification
¿Qué dijiste?
¿Cómo?
Short phrases for quick reactions
When you miss a word in fast speech, use short phrases. They are natural and common.
¿Cómo?
¿Perdón?
¿Otra vez?
When to use each form
Choose formality based on who you are addressing. For family, friends, classmates, or peers use ¿Puedes repetir? and informal short phrases. For a teacher, older person, or official situation use ¿Puede repetir? or add por favor to be polite.
Examples
In class to a classmate: ¿Puedes repetir?
At a bank to a teller: ¿Puede repetir, por favor?
On a bus when you missed a stop name: ¿Cómo?
How to add context or specify what you missed
Sometimes you hear part of a sentence, not the whole thing. Add short clarifiers to guide the speaker.
Ask to repeat the whole sentence
¿Puedes repetir la frase?
Ask to repeat one word
¿Puedes repetir esa palabra?
Ask to speak slower
¿Puedes hablar más despacio?
Ask to spell or write it
¿Puedes escribirlo?
Example dialog: buying a ticket
Vendor: Billete a Medellín, veinte dólares.
You: Perdón, ¿puede repetir?
Vendor: Veinte dólares, por favor.
You: ¿Puede escribir el precio?
Example dialog: in class
Teacher: La tarea es para el viernes.
Student: ¿Cómo?
Teacher: La tarea es para el viernes, entrega el informe.
Student: ¿Puedes repetir la fecha?
Pronunciation tips for beginners
Pronunciation helps you be understood and to recognize the phrase when others say it. Focus on a few sounds:
¿Puedes – stress the first syllable: PU-e-des. The d can sound soft in fast speech.
repetir – re-pe-TIR, with stronger last syllable. The final r is soft in Latin American Spanish.
Practice the full phrase slowly, then speed up until it feels natural: ¿Puedes repetir?
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake: Using wrong formality
Beginners sometimes use ¿Puedes? with strangers or officials. Use ¿Puede? with people you should treat formally. If unsure, pick the formal option plus por favor.
Mistake: Literal translation
Avoid word-for-word English structure like Can you repeat that? translated awkwardly. Use the natural Spanish forms shown above. Native speakers expect short, direct phrases.
Mistake: Overusing one phrase
Using only ¿Puedes repetir? is fine, but sometimes a shorter reaction like ¿Cómo? or a clarifying phrase like ¿Puedes decirlo más despacio? is faster and more natural.
Practice activities for beginners
Simple drills build confidence. Try these everyday exercises.
1. Role-play ordering food with a friend. Practice both speaker and listener: one reads a menu item, the other asks ¿Puedes repetir?
2. Listen to short audio clips and pause. When you miss a word, say ¿Cómo? or ¿Puedes repetir?
3. Label routine situations: at the bank, store, or bus. Prepare quick lines to ask repetition or clarification and rehearse them out loud.
4. Write simple dialogues and practice switching roles. Include formal and informal versions to learn both ¿Puedes and ¿Puede.
Related vocabulary and phrases
Learning a small set of related words helps you expand requests for help.
repetir — to repeat
otra vez — again
más despacio — slower
por favor — please
perdón — excuse me / sorry
¿Qué dijiste? — What did you say?
¿Puede decirlo de otra forma? — Can you say it another way?
Short practice set
Read, listen, or use these sentences out loud to internalize patterns.
¿Puedes repetir?
¿Puede repetir, por favor?
¿Puedes repetir esa palabra?
¿Cómo?
¿Puedes hablar más despacio?
Perdón, no entendí.
Real-life scenarios and sample sentences
These realistic examples show how to use the phrases in daily life. Use them as templates and swap words to match your situation.
At a restaurant: Perdón, ¿puede repetir el nombre del plato?
On the phone: ¿Puedes repetir el número?
With a teacher: ¿Puede repetir la tarea, por favor?
On public transport: ¿Cómo se llama esta estación? — Perdón, ¿puede repetir?
Shopping: ¿Puedes repetir el precio?
Quick tip: nonverbal signals
Use polite nonverbal cues with the phrase: slightly raise your eyebrows, tilt your head, or hold up a hand. These make the request friendly and clear, especially when sound quality is poor or background noise is loud.
How to respond when someone asks you to repeat
If a learner asks you to repeat something, use simple strategies to help:
1. Repeat the whole sentence slowly: say it clearly and at a slower pace.
2. Repeat just the missed word and use a short explanation: say the word in context.
3. Spell the word or write it down: this is especially helpful for names and numbers.
Example teacher response: Sí, la tarea es para el viernes. La fecha es el viernes. (repeats slowly)
Practice schedule for fast progress
Consistent short practice works best. Try a weekly plan focused on repetition phrases.
Daily: 5 minutes speaking aloud the core phrases plus pronunciation drills.
3 times a week: 10-minute role-play with a partner or language exchange focusing on asking for repetition and clarification.
Weekly: Listen to a short audio clip and use only repetition phrases to recover missed parts.
Common cultural note
Asking for repetition shows respect for communication and willingness to learn. In Latin American contexts, adding por favor and a smile keeps interactions warm and polite.
Conclusion
Mastering ¿Puedes repetir? and its alternatives makes early Spanish conversations less stressful and more productive. Use the informal ¿Puedes repetir? with peers and ¿Puede repetir, por favor? in formal settings. Practice short reactions like ¿Cómo? and clarify with phrases like ¿Puedes hablar más despacio? to build confidence quickly.
