German · Real conversations
Ask someone to repeat naturally in German
You can request a repeat, identify the part you missed, or ask for slower delivery. Explain the listening problem rather than implying the speaker's information is wrong.
Three ways to say it
Entschuldigung, könntest du das noch einmal sagen?
Sorry, could you say that again?
A polite general repeat request when you missed the whole message.
Ich habe den letzten Teil nicht verstanden.
I didn't catch the last part.
Identify the last part as the part you did not hear clearly.
Könntest du es etwas langsamer sagen?
Could you say it a little more slowly?
Ask for a slower version when hearing the same speed again would not help.
Avoid translating word by word
In English, 'I didn't catch that' means you did not hear or understand it; 'catch' does not refer to grabbing something. The examples use a natural hearing or understanding expression for that situation.
See the difference in context
Hearing the time of a meeting
Die Besprechung beginnt um halb zehn.
The meeting starts at half past nine.
Entschuldigung, könntest du das noch einmal sagen?
Sorry, could you say that again?
Missing the last part of directions
Wir treffen uns am Bahnhof neben dem Fahrkartenschalter.
We meet at the station, beside the ticket office.
Ich habe den letzten Teil nicht verstanden.
I didn't catch the last part.
Your turn
Ask the person to say the message a little more slowly. Make the listening adjustment specific.
Reveal a sample reply
Könntest du es etwas langsamer sagen?
Could you say it a little more slowly?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
