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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]

Phrase Breakdown

Pouvez-vous répéter,

poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay

Can you repeat,

A formal question. Each 'é' sounds like 'ay': 'poo-vay voo ray-pay-tay'.

Example

Pouvez-vous répéter le numéro ?

Can you repeat the number?

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?

The formal 'please', which softens the request. The final 't' is silent.

Example

L'addition, s'il vous plaît.

The bill, please.

Words in this phrase

s'

[seel]

if

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.

il

[eel]

it

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.

Related guides

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.How to Learn to Speak French, Not Just Read ItWhy reading French doesn't make you speak it, and a practical way to learn to speak French: real conversations, speaking out loud from day one, and practice with people.

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