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How to Say ‘Can you repeat, please?’ in French

Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay seel eel voo pleh

[poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay seel eel voo pleh]

🇫🇷 In France: People are generally patient when you ask politely like this. Expect them to slow down rather than switch to English.

Phrase Breakdown

Pouvez-vous répéter,

poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay

Can you repeat,

A polite request, pronounced 'poo-vay-voo ray-pay-tay'.

Example

Pouvez-vous répéter le nom ?

Can you repeat the name?

Words in this phrase

Pouvez

[poo-vay]

can

Polite verb form of pouvoir used to ask if someone is able or willing to do something.

Example

En classe, « Pouvez » se trouve dans la phrase « Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? »

In class, “Pouvez” is found in the sentence “Can you repeat, please?”

-vous

[voo]

you

Subject pronoun attached after the verb in an inverted question form.

Example

Souhaitez-vous réserver pour demain ?

Would you like to book for tomorrow?

répéter

[ray-pay-tay]

to repeat

Infinitive verb meaning to say something again, often used in the classroom.

Example

Le professeur entend « répéter » dans la demande « Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? »

The teacher hears “to repeat” in the request “Can you repeat, please?”

s'il vous plaît ?

seel eel voo pleh

please?

Adds politeness. Let your voice rise at the end, since this is a question.

Example

Un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît ?

A glass of water, please?

Words in this phrase

[seel]

Part of the fixed polite expression s'il vous plaît, literally if it pleases you.

Example

S'il vous plaît, confirmez la réservation.

Please confirm the reservation.

[eel]

In il y a, il does not refer to a person; it is part of the expression meaning “there is/there are.”

Example

Est-ce qu'il y a un parking sur place ?

Is there parking on site?

vous

[voo]

to you

Indirect object pronoun: the person receiving something.

Example

Je vous donne la monnaie.

I give you the change.

plaît

[pleh]

pleases

From plaire, to please; part of the expression meaning please.

Example

S'il vous plaît, cela me plaît beaucoup.

Please, I like that very much.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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