Meeting phrases · German
How to say “Can you repeat that?” in German — and 20 other meeting phrases
Updated September 17, 2026
In a work call, say Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?. With a colleague on casual terms, Kannst du das nochmal sagen? is enough. Below are 20 more phrases for the moments video calls go wrong — each with its level of politeness.
Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Formal Uses Sie. The default with clients and in most companies.
Kannst du das nochmal sagen?
Casual Uses du. Common in start-ups and tech teams that are on du.
Formal or casual?
German has Sie (formal) and du (informal). Könnten Sie…? — “could you…?” — is the politest everyday form. Many tech companies and start-ups use du with everyone; if the team introduces itself by first name and says du, do the same.
Two small traps. Das habe ich akustisch nicht verstanden means “I didn’t hear that”, not “I didn’t understand the idea” — it is exactly the phrase for a bad line. And noch einmal wiederholen (“repeat again”) is a well-known pleonasm; wiederholen alone is enough.
When you did not hear it
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
A sentence was lost to noise or crosstalk.
Entschuldigung, das habe ich akustisch nicht verstanden.
Neutral
Could you repeat the last part?
You heard the start and lost the end.
Könnten Sie den letzten Teil bitte wiederholen?
Formal
Could you speak a little louder?
The speaker is far from their microphone.
Könnten Sie etwas lauter sprechen?
Formal
Could you speak more slowly, please?
The point is important and it came too fast.
Könnten Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen?
Formal
When you heard it but did not understand
I don’t understand.
Say it early rather than nodding along.
Das verstehe ich nicht. / Das habe ich nicht verstanden.
Neutral
What does ___ mean?
An acronym, a product name or in-house jargon.
Was bedeutet ___?
Neutral
Could you explain that another way?
A repeat in the same words would not help.
Könnten Sie das noch einmal anders erklären?
Formal
So you mean that ___?
Check a decision back before you act on it.
Habe ich das richtig verstanden, dass ___?
Neutral
When the connection is the problem
I can’t hear you.
The speaker’s sound is gone.
Ich kann Sie nicht hören.
Formal
Can you hear me?
Right after you join or unmute.
Können Sie mich hören?
Formal
Your audio is breaking up.
Words drop out of the middle of sentences.
Die Verbindung ist gerade schlecht.
Neutral Casual, to one person: “Du klingst etwas abgehackt.”
I think you’re on mute.
Lips move, no sound.
Ich glaube, Sie sind stummgeschaltet.
Formal
Sorry, my connection dropped.
You rejoin after being cut off.
Entschuldigung, meine Verbindung war kurz weg.
Neutral
Can you see my screen?
You start sharing.
Können Sie meinen Bildschirm sehen?
Formal
Names, spelling and the chat
Sorry, could you tell me your name again?
Introductions went by too quickly.
Entschuldigung, wie war noch mal Ihr Name?
Formal
How do you spell (write) that?
A name, an address or a term you will need later.
Wie schreibt man das?
Neutral
Could you write it in the chat?
Numbers, links and names are safer in writing.
Könnten Sie das in den Chat schreiben?
Formal
Keeping the meeting moving
One moment, please.
You need a second to find something.
Einen Moment, bitte.
Neutral
Sorry to interrupt.
You need to step in before the topic moves on.
Entschuldigung, dass ich unterbreche.
Neutral More formal: “Entschuldigen Sie, dass ich unterbreche.”
Got it, thank you.
Close the loop after they repeat.
Alles klar, danke.
Neutral
Short replies to be careful with
- Was? — Blunt on its own.
- Wie bitte? — Not something to avoid — it is the standard polite “Pardon?” and works in any meeting.
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.
Die Verbindung ist gerade schlecht.
Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?
-
2. The next point comes too fast to follow.
Könnten Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen?
-
3. A new participant introduces themselves and you miss the name.
Entschuldigung, wie war noch mal Ihr Name?
Wie schreibt man das?
-
4. They read out a number you need to get exactly right.
Könnten Sie das in den Chat schreiben?
Alles klar, danke.
If the whole meeting is in German
Phrases get you through a few missed sentences. When the entire call is in German 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 German, 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 German: English ↔ German meeting translation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most polite way to say “Can you repeat that?” in German?+
Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? — Uses Sie. The default with clients and in most companies. With colleagues: Kannst du das nochmal sagen?.
How do you say “Can you speak slower?” in German?+
Könnten Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen? It is formal and fits a work call.
How do you say “I don’t understand” in German?+
Das verstehe ich nicht. / Das habe ich nicht verstanden.
Is “Was?” rude in German?+
Blunt on its own.
What if I still don’t understand after they repeat it in German?+
Ask for a different explanation — Könnten Sie das noch einmal anders erklären? — or ask them to put it in the chat: Könnten Sie das in den Chat schreiben?