Meeting phrases · French
How to say “Can you repeat that?” in French — and 20 other meeting phrases
Updated September 17, 2026
In a work call, say Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?. With a colleague on casual terms, Tu peux répéter ? is enough. Below are 20 more phrases for the moments video calls go wrong — each with its level of politeness.
Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
Formal Uses vous and the conditional. The safest form in any work call.
Tu peux répéter ?
Casual Uses tu. For colleagues you already call tu.
Formal or casual?
French separates vous (formal, or several people) from tu (informal). There are three easy steps of politeness: Pourriez-vous…? (conditional, formal), Pouvez-vous…? (polite) and Tu peux…? (casual). In a meeting with people you do not know well, stay with vous.
French typography puts a thin space before “?”, which is why the phrases below have one. Gender shows up in some phrases: a woman writes désolée and coupée with an extra “e”; in speech it sounds the same.
When you did not hear it
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
A sentence was lost to noise or crosstalk.
Pardon, je n’ai pas bien entendu.
Neutral
Could you repeat the last part?
You heard the start and lost the end.
Pouvez-vous répéter la fin, s’il vous plaît ?
Polite “La fin” is what people actually say, rather than “la dernière partie”.
Could you speak a little louder?
The speaker is far from their microphone.
Pourriez-vous parler un peu plus fort ?
Formal
Could you speak more slowly, please?
The point is important and it came too fast.
Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ?
Formal
When you heard it but did not understand
I don’t understand.
Say it early rather than nodding along.
Je ne comprends pas. / Je n’ai pas compris.
Neutral
What does ___ mean?
An acronym, a product name or in-house jargon.
Que veut dire ___ ?
Neutral More everyday: “Qu’est-ce que ___ veut dire ?”
Could you explain that another way?
A repeat in the same words would not help.
Pourriez-vous l’expliquer autrement ?
Formal
So you mean that ___?
Check a decision back before you act on it.
Si je comprends bien, ___ ?
Neutral
When the connection is the problem
I can’t hear you.
The speaker’s sound is gone.
Je ne vous entends pas.
Formal
Can you hear me?
Right after you join or unmute.
Vous m’entendez ?
Polite
Your audio is breaking up.
Words drop out of the middle of sentences.
Ça coupe un peu.
Neutral “Vous coupez” also works.
I think you’re on mute.
Lips move, no sound.
Je crois que votre micro est coupé.
Formal
Sorry, my connection dropped.
You rejoin after being cut off.
Désolé(e), j’ai été coupé(e).
Neutral
Can you see my screen?
You start sharing.
Vous voyez mon écran ?
Neutral
Names, spelling and the chat
Sorry, could you tell me your name again?
Introductions went by too quickly.
Pardon, pouvez-vous me redire votre nom ?
Formal
How do you spell (write) that?
A name, an address or a term you will need later.
Comment ça s’écrit ?
Neutral
Could you write it in the chat?
Numbers, links and names are safer in writing.
Pourriez-vous l’écrire dans le chat ?
Formal
Keeping the meeting moving
One moment, please.
You need a second to find something.
Un instant, s’il vous plaît.
Formal
Sorry to interrupt.
You need to step in before the topic moves on.
Excusez-moi de vous interrompre.
Formal
Got it, thank you.
Close the loop after they repeat.
D’accord, merci.
Neutral
Short replies to be careful with
- Quoi ? / Hein ? — Blunt. Fine with close friends, not in a meeting.
- Comment ? — Common and acceptable, but traditionally a little less polite than “Pardon ?”, which is the safest short “Sorry?”.
One call, start to finish
The same phrases in the order a real meeting tends to need them.
-
1. The speaker’s audio cuts out in the middle of a sentence.
Ça coupe un peu.
Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
-
2. The next point comes too fast to follow.
Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ?
-
3. A new participant introduces themselves and you miss the name.
Pardon, pouvez-vous me redire votre nom ?
Comment ça s’écrit ?
-
4. They read out a number you need to get exactly right.
Pourriez-vous l’écrire dans le chat ?
D’accord, merci.
If the whole meeting is in French
Phrases get you through a few missed sentences. When the entire call is in French and you follow it at half speed, reading helps more than asking again. Trippi is a browser extension for Chrome and Edge that shows live captions of what is said in French, with a translation into English under each line, in Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in the browser. No bot joins the call, and it is free to start.
What it does not do: it does not work in the desktop Zoom or Teams apps, and automatic captions still miss rare names and jargon — which is exactly when the phrases above come in. More about calls between English and French: English ↔ French meeting translation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most polite way to say “Can you repeat that?” in French?+
Pourriez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? — Uses vous and the conditional. The safest form in any work call. With colleagues: Tu peux répéter ?.
How do you say “Can you speak slower?” in French?+
Pourriez-vous parler plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ? It is formal and fits a work call.
How do you say “I don’t understand” in French?+
Je ne comprends pas. / Je n’ai pas compris.
Is “Quoi ? / Hein ?” rude in French?+
Blunt. Fine with close friends, not in a meeting.
What if I still don’t understand after they repeat it in French?+
Ask for a different explanation — Pourriez-vous l’expliquer autrement ? — or ask them to put it in the chat: Pourriez-vous l’écrire dans le chat ?