Meeting phrases · Italian
How to say “Can you repeat that?” in Italian — and 20 other meeting phrases
Updated September 17, 2026
In a work call, say Potrebbe ripetere, per favore?. With a colleague on casual terms, Puoi ripetere? is enough. Below are 20 more phrases for the moments video calls go wrong — each with its level of politeness.
Potrebbe ripetere, per favore?
Formal Uses Lei. The safe form with clients and people you have just met.
Puoi ripetere?
Casual Uses tu. For colleagues on first-name terms.
Formal or casual?
Italian uses Lei (formal) and tu (informal). Potrebbe…? — “could you…?” — is the formal request. The same split shows in “sorry”: scusi (to one person, formal), scusa (informal) and scusate (to a group), which is often the right one in a meeting.
One trap: Non si sente bene is easily read as “he/she isn’t feeling well”. To say you cannot hear, use Non si sente niente or speak to the person directly.
When you did not hear it
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.
A sentence was lost to noise or crosstalk.
Scusi, non ho sentito bene.
Formal
Could you repeat the last part?
You heard the start and lost the end.
Potrebbe ripetere l’ultima parte?
Formal
Could you speak a little louder?
The speaker is far from their microphone.
Potrebbe parlare un po’ più forte?
Formal
Could you speak more slowly, please?
The point is important and it came too fast.
Potrebbe parlare più lentamente, per favore?
Formal
When you heard it but did not understand
I don’t understand.
Say it early rather than nodding along.
Non capisco. / Non ho capito.
Neutral
What does ___ mean?
An acronym, a product name or in-house jargon.
Che cosa significa ___?
Neutral More everyday: “Cosa vuol dire ___?”
Could you explain that another way?
A repeat in the same words would not help.
Potrebbe spiegarlo in un altro modo?
Formal
So you mean that ___?
Check a decision back before you act on it.
Quindi intende dire che ___?
Formal
When the connection is the problem
I can’t hear you.
The speaker’s sound is gone.
Non si sente niente.
Neutral To one person: “Non la sento” (formal), “Non ti sento” (casual).
Can you hear me?
Right after you join or unmute.
Mi sentite?
Neutral To the whole group.
Your audio is breaking up.
Words drop out of the middle of sentences.
Si sente a scatti.
Neutral To one person: “La sento a scatti” (formal), “Ti sento a scatti” (casual).
I think you’re on mute.
Lips move, no sound.
Credo che abbia il microfono disattivato.
Formal
Sorry, my connection dropped.
You rejoin after being cut off.
Scusate, mi è caduta la connessione.
Neutral Also common: “mi è saltata la connessione”.
Can you see my screen?
You start sharing.
Vedete il mio schermo?
Neutral To the whole group.
Names, spelling and the chat
Sorry, could you tell me your name again?
Introductions went by too quickly.
Scusi, può ripetermi il suo nome?
Formal
How do you spell (write) that?
A name, an address or a term you will need later.
Come si scrive?
Neutral
Could you write it in the chat?
Numbers, links and names are safer in writing.
Potrebbe scriverlo in chat?
Formal
Keeping the meeting moving
One moment, please.
You need a second to find something.
Un momento, per favore.
Neutral
Sorry to interrupt.
You need to step in before the topic moves on.
Scusate se interrompo.
Neutral
Got it, thank you.
Close the loop after they repeat.
Ho capito, grazie.
Neutral
Short replies to be careful with
- Cosa? / Che? — “Cosa?” is fine among colleagues but can sound abrupt with clients; “Che?” is more colloquial still.
- Come? / Prego? — Not rude: “Come?” is the everyday “Sorry?”, and “Prego?” is a formal “Pardon?”.
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.
Si sente a scatti.
Potrebbe ripetere, per favore?
-
2. The next point comes too fast to follow.
Potrebbe parlare più lentamente, per favore?
-
3. A new participant introduces themselves and you miss the name.
Scusi, può ripetermi il suo nome?
Come si scrive?
-
4. They read out a number you need to get exactly right.
Potrebbe scriverlo in chat?
Ho capito, grazie.
If the whole meeting is in Italian
Phrases get you through a few missed sentences. When the entire call is in Italian 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 Italian, 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most polite way to say “Can you repeat that?” in Italian?+
Potrebbe ripetere, per favore? — Uses Lei. The safe form with clients and people you have just met. With colleagues: Puoi ripetere?.
How do you say “Can you speak slower?” in Italian?+
Potrebbe parlare più lentamente, per favore? It is formal and fits a work call.
How do you say “I don’t understand” in Italian?+
Non capisco. / Non ho capito.
Is “Cosa? / Che?” rude in Italian?+
“Cosa?” is fine among colleagues but can sound abrupt with clients; “Che?” is more colloquial still.
What if I still don’t understand after they repeat it in Italian?+
Ask for a different explanation — Potrebbe spiegarlo in un altro modo? — or ask them to put it in the chat: Potrebbe scriverlo in chat?