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

Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ?

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

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

🇫🇷 In France: Asking someone to repeat is completely normal. If you still struggle, many people in cities will switch to English to help.

Phrase Breakdown

Vous pouvez répéter,

voo poo-vay ray-pay-tay

Can you repeat,

'Vous pouvez' means 'you can'. Say 'voo poo-vay ray-pay-tay' and pause at the comma.

Example

Vous pouvez répéter le prix ?

Can you repeat the price?

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

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?”

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?

The polite 'please'. Raise your voice at the end because the sentence is a question.

Example

Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?

More slowly, 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]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

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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