How do I ask someone to repeat in Brazilian Portuguese?

A polite, natural option is ‘Pode repetir, por favor?’ It means ‘Could you repeat that, please?’ You can also say ‘Você pode repetir?’

How do I ask what a Portuguese word means?

Ask ‘O que significa [word]?’ For example, ‘O que significa saudade?’ means ‘What does saudade mean?’

Is it okay to ask people to speak more slowly?

Yes. ‘Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?’ is a polite way to ask someone to speak more slowly. Asking for clarification is a normal part of a conversation.

5 Essential Questions for Brazilian Portuguese Conversations

Five questions that help you understand and respond

These phrases are especially useful when you are listening to a new accent, meeting someone, or learning an unfamiliar word. Read them aloud and try each one in a short exchange.

Portuguese	Meaning	When to use it
Pode repetir, por favor?	Could you repeat that, please?	You missed a word or sentence.
Pode falar mais devagar?	Could you speak more slowly?	The person is speaking too quickly for you to follow.
O que significa “...”?	What does “...” mean?	You heard a new word or expression.
Como se escreve?	How do you spell it?	You want to write down a name or word.
Você pode me dar um exemplo?	Can you give me an example?	You understand the explanation better with context.

Make the questions sound natural

In Brazilian Portuguese, pode can make a request sound direct but polite. Add por favor when you want to soften it:

Pode repetir? — Could you repeat that?
Pode repetir, por favor? — Could you repeat that, please?

To ask about meaning, use O que significa...? Put the word or phrase after it: O que significa “bora”? You can also ask Como se escreve? when you know how a word sounds but want to write it correctly.

Practice a short conversation

This original dialogue shows how clarification questions can keep an exchange moving. It is an example for practice, not dialogue from the podcast.

A: A gente se encontra lá pelas oito.
We’ll meet around eight.

B: Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Could you speak more slowly, please?

A: Claro. A gente se encontra por volta das oito.
Sure. We’ll meet around eight.

B: “Por volta” significa “around”?
Does “por volta” mean “around”?

A: Isso! Mais ou menos às oito.
That’s right! At about eight.

Try a three-step listening practice

Listen once without pausing. Write down the topic and any words you recognize.
Listen again with one goal. Notice question words, repeated expressions, and how speakers respond.
Ask your own follow-up. Choose one phrase from the table and use it to clarify something you heard or read.

You do not need to understand every word before speaking. A simple clarification question can help you stay present in the conversation instead of switching back to English.