Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
REPEAT in Spanish: REPETIR
Repetir · verb · rreh-peh-TEER
The Spanish verb for repeat is repetir, and it is one of the most useful words for language learners since asking someone to repeat themselves is an everyday necessity. Repetir is an e → i stem-changing verb, meaning the second e shifts to i in most present-tense forms: yo repito, tú repites. Beyond asking for repetition, repetir is also used for repeating a course (repetir el curso) or having a second helping of food (repetir plato).
rreh-peh-TEER
¿Podrías repetir la pregunta, por favor? No escuché bien.
Could you repeat the question, please? I did not hear well.
How Native Speakers Use Repetir
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Asking for repetition
Repite eso más despacio, por favor, que estoy aprendiendo.
Repeat that more slowly, please; I am learning.
Repite is the informal tú imperative form of repetir.
Having seconds at dinner
La comida estaba tan rica que repetí dos veces.
The food was so good that I had seconds twice.
Repetir in the context of food means to have another serving.
Repeating a grade
El alumno tuvo que repetir el tercer grado por sus calificaciones.
The student had to repeat third grade because of his grades.
Repetir curso/grado means to be held back a year in school.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Repetir
Forgetting the stem change
Incorrect: Yo repeto la lección todos los días.
Correct: Yo repito la lección todos los días.
Repetir is an e → i stem-changing verb. In the yo form, the second e becomes i: repito, not repeto.
Using repetir instead of reiterar in formal writing
Incorrect: Quiero repetir mi posición sobre el tema. (formal document)
Correct: Quiero reiterar mi posición sobre el tema.
In formal writing or speeches, reiterar (to reiterate) is more appropriate than repetir when emphasizing a point. Repetir can sound casual in highly formal contexts.
Lock in Repeat Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Repetir used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using repetir in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Podrías repetir la pregunta, por favor? No escuché bien. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Repeat in Spanish
- How do you conjugate repetir in the present tense?
- Repetir follows the e → i stem-change pattern: yo repito, tú repites, él/ella repite, nosotros repetimos (no change), vosotros repetís (no change), ellos repiten. The stem change occurs in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
- How do you politely ask someone to repeat themselves in Spanish?
- Several common phrases work: ¿Puede repetir, por favor? (formal), ¿Podrías repetir eso? (informal), ¿Cómo dijo? (What did you say? - formal), and ¿Mande? (Pardon? - common in Mexico). Each one signals that you did not catch what was said without being impolite.
- Can repetir mean to have seconds at a meal?
- Repetir is commonly used at the dinner table to mean 'to have another helping.' Saying ¿Puedo repetir? (Can I have more?) or Voy a repetir (I am going to have seconds) is perfectly natural and understood across all Spanish-speaking countries.