Meaning
Asking someone to say something again.
Cultural Background
Romanians are generally patient with language learners. If you use 'Poți să repeți?', they will often not only repeat but also simplify their language for you. In villages, elders might prefer the very formal 'Vă rog să repetați'. Using 'Poți' might be seen as a lack of upbringing (lipsă de educație). In the fast-paced capital, people might switch to English immediately if you ask them to repeat. If you want to keep practicing, insist on Romanian. In the region of Moldova (both in Romania and the Republic of Moldova), you might hear a softer pronunciation of 'ți', sounding almost like 'chi'.
Add 'te rog'
Always add 'te rog' (please) to make the request sound much friendlier.
Watch the 'ț'
Don't pronounce 'ț' as 't'. It must have that 'ts' hiss to be understood.
Meaning
Asking someone to say something again.
Add 'te rog'
Always add 'te rog' (please) to make the request sound much friendlier.
Watch the 'ț'
Don't pronounce 'ț' as 't'. It must have that 'ts' hiss to be understood.
Use 'Poftim?' for speed
If you're in a rush, a simple 'Poftim?' with rising intonation works 90% of the time.
Eye Contact
In Romania, making eye contact while asking someone to repeat shows you are genuinely interested in what they are saying.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing particle for the subjunctive mood.
Poți ___ repeți, te rog?
In Romanian, 'a putea' is followed by 'să' + the subjunctive verb.
Choose the formal version of the phrase.
How do you ask a teacher to repeat?
'Puteți' is the formal/plural form of 'a putea'.
Complete the dialogue in a noisy street.
Andrei: 'Vrei să mergem la cinema?' Tu: 'Nu am auzit bine. ________?'
Asking to repeat is the logical response when you haven't heard well.
Match the phrase to its register.
Match the following:
Each phrase has a specific social context.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesPoți ___ repeți, te rog?
In Romanian, 'a putea' is followed by 'să' + the subjunctive verb.
How do you ask a teacher to repeat?
'Puteți' is the formal/plural form of 'a putea'.
Andrei: 'Vrei să mergem la cinema?' Tu: 'Nu am auzit bine. ________?'
Asking to repeat is the logical response when you haven't heard well.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Each phrase has a specific social context.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's not rude, but it is informal. Use it with people you know well.
Technically no, it's grammatically incorrect in Romanian because you need the 'să'.
Try saying 'Poți să spui mai rar?' (Can you say it more slowly?) or 'Poți să scrii?' (Can you write it down?).
'Poftim' is more versatile but 'Poți să repeți' is more specific and helpful for learners.
Use the plural: 'Puteți să repetați?'.
Yes, it can also mean 'to rehearse' (like for a play or a concert).
Yes, 'Mai zi o dată' is very common among youth.
It's like the 'u' in 'butter' or the 'a' in 'sofa'.
In an email, it's better to say 'Puteți să îmi retrimiteți informația?' (Can you resend the information?).
Romanian uses the subjunctive after modal verbs of possibility and desire.
Related Phrases
Poftim?
synonymPardon? / Excuse me?
Mai zi o dată
informalSay it one more time
Nu am înțeles
similarI didn't understand
Spune mai rar
builds onSpeak more slowly
Cum se spune...?
similarHow do you say...?
