Can you repeat that?
Informal version. Use with friends, family, and people your age. This uses the 'tú' form.
A very common, quick way to ask someone to repeat themselves, similar to 'Sorry?' or 'What was that?'. It's slightly informal.
Means 'Again, please.' A simple and direct way to ask for repetition, perfect for beginners.
Means 'I didn't understand.' This explains *why* you need them to repeat it, making it a very useful and common phrase.
Excuse me, professor. The connection is bad. Can you repeat that, please?
You spoke very fast. Can you repeat the last part?
The waiter says the special of the day. You don't hear and ask: 'Sorry, what was that?'
I'm at the market and I don't understand the price. I say to the seller: 'I didn't understand. Again, please?'
The most important distinction in Latin America is formal vs. informal. Use '¿Puede repetir?' (formal 'usted') with strangers, elders, or in professional settings. Use '¿Puedes repetir?' (informal 'tú') with friends and peers.
In addition to the standard phrases, '¿Mande?' is a uniquely Mexican and very polite way to say 'Come again?' or 'Pardon?'. It's used when you didn't hear or understand something.
Argentinians use 'vos' instead of 'tú' for informal address. So, the informal version is '¿Podés repetir, por favor?'.
While they use '¿Puedes repetir?' and '¿Puede repetir?', they use 'tú' more liberally than in Latin America. For informal plural, they use 'vosotros', resulting in '¿Podéis repetir?'.
Both '¿Puede repetir?' and '¿Cómo?' are extremely common. The choice depends on the level of formality, with '¿Puede repetir?' being the safer, more formal option.
Saying just '¿Repetir?'. This can sound like a command. It's much more polite to say the full phrase: '¿Puede repetir, por favor?'.
Using the informal '¿Puedes...?' with someone you should show respect to (e.g., an elder, a police officer). When in doubt, the formal '¿Puede...?' is always the safer choice.
Literally translating 'that' ('¿Puede repetir eso?'). While grammatically correct, it's more natural for native speakers to omit 'eso' (that) and simply say '¿Puede repetir?'.
Confusing '¿Cómo?' ('How?' or 'What?') with '¿Qué?' ('What?'). When asking someone to repeat themselves because you didn't hear, '¿Cómo?' is generally more polite than '¿Qué?'.
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