Hebrew for Asking Someone to Repeat Themselves

In real Hebrew conversations, people often speak quickly, especially in shops, on the phone, at work, or when directions are being given. If you miss something, the key is to ask clearly and politely without freezing up. You do not need a perfect sentence. A short, natural phrase is usually enough.

The most useful phrases

Here are the basics:

• מה? — What?
• סליחה? — Sorry? / Pardon?
• אפשר שוב? — Can you say it again?
• אתה יכול לחזור? — Can you repeat? (to a man)
• את יכולה לחזור? — Can you repeat? (to a woman)
• לא הבנתי — I didn’t understand
• אפשר לאט יותר? — Can you speak more slowly?

If you only remember one phrase, סליחה, אפשר שוב? is a very safe choice in many situations.

What people actually say in Israel

In everyday Hebrew, you will often hear very short repair phrases. People may just say מה? or סליחה? and then wait for the other person to repeat. This is normal. It is not rude if your tone is calm.

If the speaker is going too fast, you can combine a repeat request with a speed request:

• אפשר שוב, לאט יותר? — Again, more slowly?
• סליחה, לא שמעתי — Sorry, I didn’t hear
• אני לא מבין / אני לא מבינה — I don’t understand (male / female speaker)

For more practice with this kind of real-life repair language, see Hebrew for Saying You Don’t Understand at Work. It uses the same basic idea: keep the sentence short and useful.

A simple formula you can reuse

A lot of repeat requests follow this pattern:

סליחה + request

Examples:

• סליחה, אפשר שוב?
• סליחה, לא הבנתי
• סליחה, אפשר לאט יותר?

This works well because it sounds polite without being heavy or formal.

If you are in a work setting

At work, you may want to sound a little more specific. Instead of only saying “again,” you can ask for the exact part you missed.

• אפשר לחזור על המספר? — Can you repeat the number?
• אפשר לחזור על השם? — Can you repeat the name?
• מה אמרת לגבי השעה? — What did you say about the time?

This is especially useful in conversations like Hebrew for Asking Questions at Work, where you need to clarify details without sounding confused.

Helpful listening strategy

When Hebrew is fast, do not wait until you understand nothing. Try to catch one word, then ask about that part.

For example:

• If you heard the number but not the time, say: אפשר לחזור על השעה?
• If you heard the main point but missed the name, say: מי? אפשר שוב?
• If you caught only the end, say: סליחה, מה?

This is often better than saying a long sentence in English or giving up completely.

Practice mini-dialogues

At a store

• כמה זה עולה?
• ...
• סליחה, אפשר שוב?

On the phone

• ניפגש מחר בשש.
• סליחה, אפשר לאט יותר?

At work

• תשלח לי את זה אחרי הפגישה.
• לא הבנתי, אפשר לחזור?

Quick takeaway

If someone speaks too fast, you do not need a perfect Hebrew response. Use one of these:

• מה?
• סליחה?
• אפשר שוב?
• לא הבנתי
• אפשר לאט יותר?

These are small phrases, but they make a big difference in real conversations. They help you stay in the exchange instead of dropping out when you miss one sentence. If you also need to ask follow-up questions, Hebrew for Asking Questions at Work is a good next step, and Hebrew for Saying You Don’t Understand at Work gives more ways to recover when the conversation moves too fast.