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How to Say ‘Sorry, I didn't quite understand.’ in Italian

Scusa, non ho capito bene.

SKOO-zah nohn oh kah-PEE-toh BEH-neh

[SKOO-zah nohn oh kah-PEE-toh BEH-neh]

🇮🇹 In Italy: This is the standard, polite way to admit you missed something in a meeting. Nobody will think twice about it.

Phrase Breakdown

Scusa,

SKOO-zah

Sorry,

Informal apology. Stress SCU-sa.

Example

Scusa, sono in ritardo.

Sorry, I'm late.

Words in this phrase

Scusa

[SKOO-zah]

sorry

Feeling regret or penitence.

Example

Devo dire scusa per il ritardo.

I must say sorry for the delay.

non ho capito bene.

nohn oh kah-PEE-toh BEH-neh

I didn't quite understand

A polite way to ask for clarification.

Example

Non ho capito bene il nome.

I didn't quite catch the name.

Words in this phrase

non

[nohn]

not

This word negates the verb that follows it.

Example

Non c'é nessuno.

There is no one.

[oh]

I have

First person singular of avere, used with a past participle to form the present perfect.

Example

Ho parlato con tre aziende oggi.

I have spoken with three companies today.

capito

[kah-PEE-toh]

understood

Past participle of 'capire', to understand.

Example

Non ho capito la domanda.

I didn't understand the question.

bene

[BEH-neh]

well / fine

With 'andare', expresses that something suits someone.

Example

Ti va bene alle otto?

Is eight o'clock fine for you?

Guides for Italian learners

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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