German · Real conversations
How to say “Could you speak a little louder?” in German
Ask someone to increase their speaking volume.
Könnten Sie etwas lauter sprechen?
Could you speak a little louder?
The request concerns loudness, rather than speaking speed.
Use it in three situations
At a noisy counter
Könnten Sie etwas lauter sprechen?
Could you speak a little louder?
During an announcement
Könnten Sie bitte etwas lauter sprechen? Ich höre Sie nicht.
Could you speak a little louder, please? I can't hear you.
A face-to-face conversation
Könnten Sie mich beim Sprechen ansehen?
Could you face me when you speak?
What to watch for
If you also need slower speech, make that a separate clear request.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine accessibility needs. Say this in German: Could you speak a little louder, please? I can't hear you.
Reveal a sample reply
Könnten Sie bitte etwas lauter sprechen? Ich höre Sie nicht.
Could you speak a little louder, please? I can't hear you.
Build a useful exchange
Explain a practical access or communication need.
This expression 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.
