Spanish Phrase
¿Puedes repetirlo, porfa?
Meaning
A friendly, informal way to ask someone to repeat what they just said. The speaker uses ‘porfa’ to keep the request polite yet casual.
When to use
Use this phrase with friends, classmates, or coworkers you know well. It’s too informal for business meetings, official emails, or when speaking to strangers you want to show respect to.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Puedesrepetirlo,porfa?
Poder (present)
‘Puedes’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of poder, used to ask if someone is able to do something.
Infinitive + direct object pronoun
‘repetirlo’ combines the infinitive ‘repetir’ with the pronoun ‘lo’ (it), indicating what should be repeated.
Porfa
A colloquial contraction of ‘por favor’; acceptable in informal speech but avoided in formal contexts.
🗨In Conversation
¿Puedes repetirlo, porfa?
Can you repeat it, please?
Claro, lo dije: ‘La reunión empieza a las tres.’
Sure, I said: ‘The meeting starts at three.’
✕Common Mistakes
puedes repetirlo porfa
Missing punctuation and the question mark makes it sound like a statement rather than a request.
¿Puedes repetirlo, por favor?
While correct, using ‘por favor’ here sounds formal; if you want the casual tone, use ‘porfa’.
¿Puedes repetirlo, porfa?
The question mark should be at the very end of the whole sentence, not after ‘porfa’.
↔Alternatives
¿Puedes decirlo de nuevo, por favor?
Can you say it again, please?
¿Me lo repites, porfa?
Will you repeat it for me, please?
¿Podrías repetirlo, por favor?
Could you repeat it, please?
Cultural Tip
‘Porfa’ is a slangy shortcut that appears a lot in text messages, social media, and casual conversation among young speakers. In a formal setting, replace it with the full ‘por favor’ or use a more polite construction like ‘¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?’ to avoid sounding overly familiar.