“Can You Repeat That?” in Greek: Ask People to Slow Down

You do not need to understand every word to take part in a short conversation. You need a way to signal what went wrong and ask for help. These phrases let you ask for repetition, a slower pace, a meaning or written information. Practise them before you need them in a shop or café.

Choose the help you need

Repetition and slower speech are different requests

If you missed a word because of noise, ask Μπορείτε να το επαναλάβετε; If the speech was too fast, ask Μπορείτε να μιλήσετε πιο αργά; You can put Συγγνώμη at the beginning of either question. Asking for the same sentence again may be enough; asking for slower speech gives the other person more specific guidance.

A polite form you can reuse

Μπορείτε is useful when speaking politely to someone you do not know, and also when addressing more than one person. With a friend, the singular form is Μπορείς: Μπορείς να το επαναλάβεις; Notice that the second verb changes too. Learn the complete phrase before trying to change the individual endings.

Check what you think you heard

Suppose someone says Η συνάντηση είναι στις τρεις — “The meeting is at three.” You can check with Δηλαδή, στις τρεις; — “So, at three?” If you understood only the time, repeat that part with a questioning tone. This lets the other speaker confirm or correct it. Do not pretend you understood the whole message.

Which phrase fits?

1. A passing bus drowned out the last sentence. Ask for repetition.
2. The speaker is clear but too fast. Ask for slower speech.
3. You heard a word clearly but do not know its meaning. Ask about the word.
4. You need to copy an unfamiliar address. Ask for it in writing.

Practise with a real task

Choose a café or bakery dialogue. After the first question, insert one clarification phrase, then answer the original question. On the next attempt, use a different clarification. This turns the phrases into conversational tools instead of a list to memorise.

Practise with the café dialogue. Try the bakery dialogue.

Practise greetings in the beginner exercise.