Vocabulary
Wie bitte?
/viː ˈbɪtə/· phrase
Sorry? / Pardon? (I didn't catch that)
The polite way to ask someone to repeat — on the phone, at the counter, in class.
CEFR A1Frequency ●●●●●
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
Wie bitte?
pardon? (please repeat)
Wie bitte? Können Sie das wiederholen?
Sorry? Could you repeat that?
Common combinations
- Noch einmal, bitte.Once more, please.
- Langsamer, bitte.More slowly, please.
- Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?Could you repeat that, please?
Similar & opposite
≈ Synonyms
Entschuldigung?Was? (informal, can sound rude)
Common learner mistakes
- Was?Wie bitte?A bare „Was?“ sounds rude to strangers — „Wie bitte?“ is the polite version.
Real examples
- Wie bitte? Ich habe Sie nicht verstanden.Sorry? I didn't understand you.
- Wie bitte? Wie ist Ihr Name?Sorry? What's your name?
- Wie bitte? Das ist aber teuer!What? That's really expensive!
