再说一遍吧。

You use this when the world moves too fast. Maybe the waiter spoke like a machine gun. Maybe your friend used a word you haven't learned yet. Just drop this phrase to hit the pause button. You can add 请 (please) at the start to be extra polite. It works as a full sentence or a follow-up.

Use it when you are genuinely confused. It is perfect at a noisy bubble tea shop. Use it in a meeting when a colleague mentions a deadline. It is great for texting when a voice message is muffled. It shows you are listening and actually care about what they said. People appreciate the effort to understand!

Don't use it if you are angry unless you want to sound confrontational. In a fight, it sounds like "Say that to my face again!" Also, avoid using it with high-ranking bosses without adding 不好意思 (excuse me). Without a softener, it can feel a bit too blunt for formal hierarchies. If you're in a very formal speech, there are fancier ways to ask.

Chinese culture values "mianzi" or face. Admitting you didn't hear something is totally fine. However, using the particle 吧 is a cultural shortcut to being likable. It shows you aren't demanding information; you're inviting them to share it again. It bridges the gap between a stranger and a friend.

You will often hear 请再说一遍 in classrooms. Friends might just say 再说一次. If you are really struggling, you might hear 慢点说 (speak slower). But 再说一遍吧 is the perfect middle ground for most daily interactions. It is the "Goldilocks" of repetition phrases—just right.