{"id":5080,"date":"2015-09-29T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T13:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=5080"},"modified":"2015-08-27T22:49:40","modified_gmt":"2015-08-28T02:49:40","slug":"sorry-can-you-repeat-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/sorry-can-you-repeat-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry, can you repeat that?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>

Image by Dave Fayram on Flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n

Have you ever had to ask someone to repeat him or herself because you didn\u2019t understand them? Of course you have! We all have had to do this at times, but it is particularly common for ESL speakers, particularly while you are still a beginner at speaking English.<\/p>\n

Needing to ask a speaker to repeat him or herself is not something you should be embarrassed about. It is better that you understand the person than not.\u00a0 That is, after all, what most speakers are hoping for in the people listening to them.<\/p>\n

Today we are going to look at some polite ways for you to ask for someone to repeat them self, but first, let\u2019s look at some reasons why you may have trouble understanding a speaker in the first place.<\/p>\n

Some reasons you may have to ask someone to repeat them self are:
\nvocabulary<\/em> \u2013 not understanding the words being used
\npronunciation<\/em> \u2013 not understanding a particular accent or way of speaking
\nannunciation<\/em> \u2013 not understanding because sounds are being shortened and combined, so that each sound of a word is not pronounced
\nnoise<\/em> \u2013 not understanding due to background or surrounding noise
\ndistraction<\/em> \u2013 not understanding because you are not paying full attention
\npace<\/em> \u2013 not understanding because a speaker is talking too fast<\/p>\n

Here are some general phrases you can use to ask someone, politely, to repeat what they said:<\/p>\n

Sorry, I didn\u2019t quite catch what you said. Can you say that again?<\/strong>
\nCould you repeat what you just said for me, I didn\u2019t understand.<\/strong>
\nCould you say that again, I didn\u2019t get all of what you were saying.<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m sorry, but I didn\u2019t understand you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are having trouble understanding someone because of surrounding noise, you can say:<\/p>\n

Could you speak up, I\u2019m having trouble hearing you?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m sorry I could not hear you. Could you say that again?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you generally understand someone, but hear a word that doesn\u2019t make sense to you, you can say:<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry, but I don\u2019t know that word. What does it mean?<\/strong>
\nCan you repeat that word? I don\u2019t know it.<\/strong>
\nCould you tell me what _________ means? I don\u2019t know that word.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you need a person to slow down their rate of speech, you can say:<\/p>\n

Could you speak more slowly for me?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m still learning English, and it would really help me if you could speak just a little slower.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lastly, body language also helps a speaker comprehend that you are not fully understanding him or her. Two ways to show through body language that you are having trouble understanding are to:<\/p>\n

Lean in toward the speaker or step closer to him\/her.<\/strong>
\nPut your open hand to your ear (as though you are trying to use your hand to catch more of the sounds the person is making) and lean toward the speaker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(See the picture at the top of the post for an example of these.)<\/p>\n

I hope these phrases and tips help you next time you don\u2019t understand someone. Remember it is always better to ask people to repeat themselves than it is to walk away not knowing what they said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Have you ever had to ask someone to repeat him or herself because you didn\u2019t understand them? Of course you have! We all have had to do this at times, but it is particularly common for ESL speakers, particularly while you are still a beginner at speaking English. Needing to ask a speaker to repeat…<\/p>\n

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