Ask for Clarification in Portuguese: Repeat, Slow Down, or Explain — Practice

Ask someone to repeat the sentence

If you missed a sentence, say Pode repetir, por favor? (Could you repeat that, please?). For a quick informal exchange, Como? or Pode falar de novo? can work, depending on tone and relationship. A polite request keeps the conversation moving without pretending you understood.

Name the part you missed when you can: não entendi o último endereço (I didn’t understand the last address). This helps the other person repeat only what you need instead of starting the whole explanation again.

Ask the speaker to slow down a little

Use Pode falar mais devagar, por favor? to ask someone to speak more slowly. You can explain that you are learning Portuguese, but you do not have to apologize for needing a pace that helps you understand.

A precise request often works better than asking someone to speak extremely slowly. Try um pouco mais devagar (a little more slowly), then ask for repetition only if a phrase is still unclear.

Ask what a word means or confirm what you heard

For one unknown word, ask O que significa…? (What does … mean?) or Como se diz…? (How do you say…?). If you think you heard a word correctly, repeat it with a rising tone: Você disse terça-feira? (Did you say Tuesday?).

Checking one detail is especially helpful for dates, names, numbers, directions, and orders. It gives the speaker a chance to correct a misunderstanding before it affects the plan.

Show what you understood and invite a correction

After asking for clarification, summarize the detail you caught: então, a consulta é às três? (so, the appointment is at three?). The other person can confirm or correct one part. This is an active listening strategy, not a test of your fluency.

For more listening support, read the Real Life Portuguese three-pass listening routine and guide to hearing everyday speech. I Speak Portuguese teachers can practice these phrases with natural-speed audio and patient repetition. Use clarification as a bridge back into the conversation.

Remember: Ask for repetition, a slower pace, or the meaning of one word. Then repeat the key detail you understood so the speaker can confirm or correct it.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Sorry, could you repeat the street name?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desculpa, pode repetir o nome da rua?

2. I didn’t understand the last part. Could you say it again?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não entendi a última parte. Você pode falar de novo?

3. Sorry? I didn’t hear the time.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Como? Não ouvi o horário.

4. I’m learning Portuguese. Could you speak a little more slowly?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou aprendendo português. Pode falar um pouco mais devagar?

5. Sorry, could you repeat that more slowly?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desculpe, você pode repetir mais devagar?

6. That pace is great, thank you. (speaker: man)

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Assim está ótimo, obrigado.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Ask for repetition, a slower pace, or the meaning of one word. Then repeat the key detail you understood so the speaker can confirm or correct it.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ask for Clarification in Portuguese: Repeat, Slow Down, or Explain lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.