می‌تونید یه بار دیگه بگید؟

You can use this phrase as a standalone question or prefix it with a soft ببخشید (Excuse me) for extra politeness points. It consists of three main parts: می‌تونید (You can - plural/polite), یه بار دیگه (one more time/again), and بگید (say - subjunctive/polite). You don't need to change anything based on the gender of the speaker. Just drop it into the conversation when the silence gets awkward. Think of it like a polite 'pardon me' while ordering a coffee or trying to find your gate at the Imam Khomeini Airport. Pro tip: if you say it with a slight smile and a tilt of the head, people will usually slow down their speaking speed by at least 20%.

This phrase sits comfortably in the 'Polite Everyday' category. It is the register you’d use with a shopkeeper, a teacher, or a colleague you aren't best friends with yet. If you were talking to your sibling, you’d probably just say دوباره بگو (say it again). If you were talking to the President of Iran, you’d use something fancy like امکان دارد مجدداً تکرار بفرمایید؟ (Is it possible to repeat again?). But for 95% of your life—from Zoom calls to TikTok comments—می‌تونید یه بار دیگه بگید؟ is your best friend. It uses the ید- ending on the verbs, which shows you’re being respectful without being 'weirdly formal.' It's like wearing a clean shirt to a casual dinner.

Imagine you’re in a taxi in Tehran. The driver is explaining the history of the Azadi Tower while weaving through traffic like a Formula 1 driver. You catch the word 'Tower' and '1971' but the rest is a blur. You lean forward and say, ببخشید، می‌تونید یه بار دیگه بگید؟. He’ll likely appreciate your interest and repeat the story (probably with more hand gestures this time). Or, you’re on a Zoom interview for a tech job. The recruiter asks about your experience with 'microservices' but their Wi-Fi glitches. Instead of guessing, you use this phrase. It shows you’re professional and don’t want to miss instructions. It’s the difference between a successful project and a very confused programmer.

Use it when the environment is loud, like at a crowded concert in Milad Tower. Use it when the person has a thick regional accent you aren't used to yet (looking at you, beautiful Esfahani accent!). It’s perfect for when you’re on the phone and the signal is 'one bar' weak. It's also great for when someone uses a slang word you’ve never heard on Duolingo. Basically, whenever the 'audio file' in your head is corrupted, hit this button. It's much better to ask twice than to nod your head and accidentally agree to buy five kilos of onions when you only wanted one.

Don’t use this if you actually heard them but you just didn't like what they said. That’s passive-aggressive, and Persians will smell it a mile away! Also, avoid using it five times in a row with the same person. At that point, you might want to switch to ببخشید، من هنوز متوجه نشدم (Excuse me, I still didn't understand). Don't use it in a very high-stakes academic defense or a formal diplomatic meeting where 'pardon' might be too casual. Finally, don't use it if you weren't listening at all because you were scrolling through Instagram. Politeness only works if you’re actually trying to pay attention!

One funny mistake is saying یه بار دیگه بخونید (read it again) when you meant 'say it.' Unless they are holding a book, they’ll look at you very confusedly. Also, avoid using جان؟ (Jan?) too much unless you want to sound very 'old-school' or intimate.

If you want to sound a bit more 'Tehrani cool,' you can say میشه یه بار دیگه بگید؟ (Is it possible to say again?). It’s slightly shorter and very common in cafes. Another variation is ببخشید، متوجه نشدم (Sorry, I didn't get it). This focuses on your lack of understanding rather than their need to repeat. If you're texting on WhatsApp, you might just write دوباره میگی؟ (Will you say again?) to a friend. In a very formal setting, you’d replace بگید with بفرمایید (Befarmayid), which is the 'holy grail' of polite Persian verbs. It's the linguistic equivalent of a bow.

Is this phrase too long? Not at all. In Persian, longer is often more polite. Think of it as 'verbal cushioning.' Can I use it in an email? Better to use مجدداً توضیح بفرمایید (Please explain again) for writing. Is it okay to use with friends? Yes, but you can drop the formality and say یه بار دیگه بگو. Does it sound like I'm a beginner? Maybe a little, but it sounds like a *polite* beginner, which is the best kind. Everyone loves someone who tries to be respectful. It's much better than just staring blankly like a frozen Netflix screen.