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"Sorry, What?" — How to Ask Someone to Repeat Without Feeling Awkward
"عفوًا، ماذا؟" — كيف تطلب من شخص أن يعيد كلامه بدون ما تحس بإحراج
What you will learn
ماذا ستتعلّم
- How to ask someone to repeat something politely
- Three levels of asking — from light to strong
- What NOT to say when you don't understand
Someone is talking to you in English. They finish their sentence. They look at you, waiting for a reply. And you have no idea what they just said.
شخص يتكلم معك بالإنجليزية وما تفهم وش قال — هنا تتعلم كيف تطلب منه يعيد بأدب.
Your brain goes blank. You smile. You nod. You hope that was the right answer.
Sound familiar? Don't worry — this happens to every single language learner, and there are simple, polite ways to ask someone to say it again. You just need the right phrases.
The 3 levels of asking someone to repeat
المستويات الثلاثة لطلب الإعادة
Not all situations are the same. Sometimes you missed one word. Sometimes you didn't catch anything at all. Here are three levels, from light to strong.
Level 1 — You almost heard it
المستوى الأول — تقريبًا سمعت
You caught most of it but missed one part. Use these:
Sorry, did you say Tuesday or Thursday?
عفوًا، قلت يوم الثلاثاء أو الخميس؟
Sorry, what was the last part?
عفوًا، ماذا كان الجزء الأخير؟
The meeting is at... sorry, what time?
الاجتماع الساعة... عفوًا، كم الساعة؟
Level 2 — You didn't catch it
المستوى الثاني — ما سمعت
You need the whole thing again. These are polite and completely normal:
Sorry, could you say that again?
عفوًا، ممكن تعيد اللي قلته؟
I didn't quite catch that.
ما التقطت اللي قلته تمامًا.
Could you repeat that, please?
ممكن تعيده من فضلك؟
What would you say?
Someone at work says something to you quickly and you don't understand any of it. What's a natural way to ask them to repeat?
See the answer
"Sorry, could you say that again?" — simple, polite, and works every time.
Level 3 — You need them to slow down
المستوى الثالث — تحتاج منهم يبطّئون
Sometimes people talk fast — really fast. It's completely fine to ask them to slow down. Nobody will be offended.
Sorry, could you speak a bit slower?
عفوًا، ممكن تتكلم أبطأ شوي؟
I'm still learning English — could you say that more slowly?
لسّا أتعلم إنجليزي — ممكن تقولها أبطأ؟
Saying "I'm still learning English" is honest and people respect it. Most will immediately slow down and speak more clearly.
قول "لسّا أتعلم إنجليزي" شي صادق والناس تحترمه. أغلبهم بيبطّئون ويتكلمون أوضح.
What not to say
ماذا لا تقول
Some phrases work in textbooks but sound strange in real life:
Avoid: "Repeat, please." — Too short. It can sound like an order.
تجنّب: "أعِد من فضلك." — قصيرة مرّة. ممكن تبان مثل أمر.
Avoid: "What?" on its own — Not rude exactly, but not polite either. Add "sorry" before it.
تجنّب: "ماذا؟" لوحدها — مو وقحة بالضبط، بس مو مهذبة. ضيف "عفوًا" قبلها.
Avoid: "I don't understand your English." — This sounds like you're blaming the other person.
تجنّب: "ما أفهم إنجليزيتك." — تبان مثل إنك تلوم الشخص الثاني.
The magic word in British English is "sorry." Start with "sorry" and almost anything after it sounds polite. British people start half their sentences with "sorry" anyway — you might as well join them.
Spot the mistake
"Repeat what you said."
See the correction
"Sorry, could you repeat that?" — Adding 'sorry' and 'could you' makes it a request, not a command.
The real secret: it's not about your English
السر الحقيقي: الموضوع مو عن إنجليزيتك
Here's something most learners don't realise: native English speakers ask each other to repeat things all the time. "Sorry, what was that?" is probably one of the most common sentences in any British office.
It's not a sign that your English is bad. It's a sign that you're in a real conversation — and real conversations have noise, accents, mumbling, and people who talk while eating their lunch.
The only mistake is pretending you understood when you didn't. That's when things get awkward.
Which is correct?
Your colleague says something you didn't hear. What sounds most natural?
See the answer
B: Sorry, what was that? — Option A isn't terrible, but B is much more natural and polite in British English.
Quick reference — phrases to remember
مرجع سريع — عبارات تحفظها
Sorry?
عفوًا؟
Sorry, what was that?
عفوًا، ماذا كان ذلك؟
Could you say that again?
ممكن تعيد اللي قلته؟
I didn't quite catch that.
ما التقطت ذلك تمامًا.
Could you speak a bit slower, please?
ممكن تتكلم أبطأ شوي من فضلك؟
I'm still learning — could you repeat that?
لسّا أتعلم — ممكن تعيده؟
Hear how these phrases sound with real pronunciation in the Listening Library.
One thing to take away
شيء واحد تاخذه معك
If you remember only one phrase from this page, make it this one:
"Sorry, could you say that again?"
عفوًا، ممكن تعيد اللي قلته؟
It works everywhere — at work, in shops, on the phone, with friends. It's polite, it's natural, and nobody will ever think less of you for using it.
Try practising this in a real conversation with Noor, your AI English tutor.
Keep learning
واصل التعلّم
Try this next:
جرّب هذا بعدين:
- The 5 Sentences That Save You in Any Shop in BritainMaster 5 simple sentences to handle any shop in Britain with confidence.
- How to Say "No" Politely in English (Without Lying)Learn polite ways to say no in English without being rude or dishonest.
- What to Say When You Don't Understand the WaiterSimple English phrases for restaurants when you don't understand the waiter.
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