{"id":1223,"date":"2026-10-05T11:18:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T11:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/eblog\/?p=1223"},"modified":"2026-10-05T11:18:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T11:18:58","slug":"what-to-say-when-you-dont-understand-someone-in-spanish-25-natural-mexican-phrases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sipuebla.com\/eblog\/what-to-say-when-you-dont-understand-someone-in-spanish-25-natural-mexican-phrases\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Say When You Don’t Understand Someone in Spanish 25 Natural Mexican Phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning Spanish in a classroom is one thing. Understanding someone when they are speaking quickly, using slang, or connecting several words together is another.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are planning to learn Spanish in Mexico, one of the first things you will discover is that you do not have to understand every word to keep a conversation going. Native speakers may speak faster than you expect, use expressions you have never heard before, or pronounce words differently from what you learned in a textbook.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And that is completely normal.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The important thing is knowing what to say when you miss something.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

of immediately switching to English or reaching for a translation app, you can use simple Spanish phrases to ask someone to repeat themselves, speak more slowly instead, explain a word, or clarify what they mean.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These expressions are especially useful when you are participating in Spanish immersion classes in Mexico, traveling, ordering food, meeting local people, or simply trying to have a conversation outside the classroom.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are <\/span><\/span>25 natural Mexican Spanish phrases<\/span><\/span> that can help you communicate when you don’t understand.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Why These Phrases Matter When Learning Spanish<\/h2>\n

When you study Spanish abroad, communication does not always happen at the pace of your textbook.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A teacher might speak clearly and slowly during a lesson. But at a market, restaurant, caf\u00e9, bus station, or social gathering, people may speak much faster.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You might understand:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Where…?”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

but miss everything that comes after it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than freezing or pretending you understood, learning a few useful expressions gives you a way to keep the conversation moving.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is one of the advantages of an immersion Spanish program. You learn not only how to form sentences but also how to manage real conversations when communication is imperfect.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

25 Natural Mexican Phrases to Use When You Don’t Understand<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. \u00bf<\/strong><\/span>Puedes<\/span> repetir<\/span>, <\/span>por<\/span> favor<\/span>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you repeat that, please?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is one of the most useful phrases for beginners.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You can use it whenever you didn’t hear or understand what someone said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Example:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014Shall we meet at six? <\/span><\/span>
\n\u2014Can you repeat that, please?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. \u00bf<\/span>Puede<\/span> repetir<\/span>, <\/span>por<\/span> favor<\/span>?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Could you repeat that, please?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the more formal version of <\/span><\/span>Can you repeat?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Use <\/span><\/span>can<\/span><\/span><\/strong> when speaking politely to someone you do not know well or in a more formal situation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. No <\/span>entend\u00ed<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn’t understand.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Short, natural, and extremely useful.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Notice that <\/span><\/span>I understood<\/span><\/span><\/em> is in the past tense. You are essentially saying, “I didn’t understand what you just said.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Learning<\/p>\n

Example:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014The appointment is on Thursday at four. <\/span><\/span>
\n\u2014Sorry, I didn’t understand. Thursday?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. No <\/span>entiendo<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I don’t understand.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is slightly different from <\/span><\/span>I didn’t understand<\/span><\/span><\/em> .<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n