Polish · Real conversations
Ask someone to repeat naturally in Polish
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
Przepraszam, możesz powtórzyć?
Sorry, could you say that again?
A polite general repeat request when you missed the whole message.
Nie dosłyszałem / dosłyszałam ostatniej części.
I didn't catch the last part.
Identify the last part as the part you did not hear clearly.
Czy możesz powiedzieć to trochę wolniej?
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
Spotkanie zaczyna się o wpół do dziesiątej.
The meeting starts at half past nine.
Przepraszam, możesz powtórzyć?
Sorry, could you say that again?
Missing the last part of directions
Spotykamy się na dworcu, obok kasy biletowej.
We meet at the station, beside the ticket office.
Nie dosłyszałem / dosłyszałam ostatniej części.
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
Czy możesz powiedzieć to trochę wolniej?
Could you say it a little more slowly?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking Polish
Polish distinguishes familiar ty from polite pan and pani. Choose pan when addressing a man and pani when addressing a woman formally; the paired forms shown in examples are alternatives, so say one. A formal question usually uses a third-person verb, such as Czy może pan …? First-person past and conditional forms can change with the speaker’s gender.
Keep letters such as ą, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż. Noun and adjective endings can change with their role in the sentence. Learn the complete expression before replacing a name, object, or time.
