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nǐ kěyǐ zài shuō yíxià ma?

你nǐ　可以kěyǐ　再zài　说shuō　一下yíxià　吗ma？nǐ kěyǐ zài shuō yíxià ma?
Could you say it again?
FromLesson 6inHardcore Chinese
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Questions & Answers about nǐ kěyǐ zài shuō yíxià ma?

What does 再 do here? Why not use 又?
  • 再 asks for a repetition in the future: “again/one more time” from now. It’s used for requests and planned repetitions.
  • 又 describes something that has happened again (often in the past) or recurs habitually.
  • In a request like this, you want a repeat to happen now/next, so use 再: 再说…
  • Contrast:
    • 他昨天又说了一遍。 “He said it again (yesterday).”
    • 你可以再说一遍吗？ “Could you say it again (now)?”
What does 一下 after 说 do? Is it necessary?
  • 一下 literally “one time/for a moment,” but after a verb it softens the request and implies a brief, light action.
  • Without 一下, 再说 can sound a bit more direct.
  • So 再说一下 ≈ “say it again (just briefly),” which is polite and gentle.
  • It’s optional: 你可以再说吗？ is grammatical but less soft.
How is 一遍/一次 different from 一下 here?
  • 一遍 counts a full repetition from start to finish. Good when you want the entire sentence repeated clearly.
  • 一次 counts occurrences (once, twice) without emphasizing completeness. In practice here it’s similar to 一遍.
  • 一下 softens rather than counts; it suggests a quick/light repeat.
  • Politeness and nuance:
    • 再说一下 = soft request
    • 再说一遍/一次 = neutral, more about “repeat fully once”
    • In class or when clarity matters, 再说一遍/一次 is common.
How polite is this sentence? How can I make it more or less polite?
  • As written, it’s polite and natural.
  • More polite:
    • 您可以再说一遍吗？
    • 请您再说一遍。
    • 麻烦您再说一遍，好吗？
  • Less formal/casual:
    • 再说一下，可以吗？
    • 再说一遍吧。 (soft suggestion with 吧)
    • Bare imperative (can sound brusque): 再说一遍。
Can I replace 你 with 您?
  • Yes. 您 is the polite “you” to show respect, e.g., to a teacher or elder:
    • 您可以再说一下吗？
What’s the natural pronunciation with tone sandhi?
  • Under third-tone sandhi and the 一 tone rule, a natural reading is:
    • ní kéyǐ zài shuō yíxià ma
  • Why:
    • 你 nǐ (3) before 可 kě (3) → becomes 2nd tone: ní
    • 可 kě (3) before 以 yǐ (3) → becomes 2nd tone: ké
    • 再 zài (4) unchanged
    • 说 shuō (1) unchanged
    • 一 yī before a 4th tone (下 xià) → becomes 2nd tone: yí
    • 下 xià (4) unchanged
    • 吗 ma neutral tone
Why is 一 pronounced yí here?
  • Tone rules for 一:
    • Before a 4th tone: yí (2nd tone) → e.g., yíxià
    • Before 1st/2nd/3rd tone: yì (4th tone) → e.g., yìqǐ
    • In isolation or when stressed as the number “one”: yī (1st tone)
Where does 再 go in the sentence?
  • 再 comes before the verb it modifies:
    • 你 可以 再 说 一下 吗？
  • Don’t say: ❌ 你可以说再一下吗？
  • Other correct orders:
    • 你再说一下，可以吗？
    • 可以再说一下吗？ (subject omitted if context is clear)
Can I drop 你 or 可以?
  • Yes, if context makes the subject obvious:
    • 可以再说一下吗？
  • Dropping 可以 turns it into a more direct imperative unless softened with 吗/吧:
    • 你再说一下吧。 (softer)
    • 你再说一下。 (more direct)
What’s the difference between 可以, 能, and 会 here?
  • 可以: permission/politeness (“may/could”). Best for requests.
  • 能: ability/possibility (“can”). Also fine in requests; a touch more about capability.
  • 会: learned skill (“know how to”). Not appropriate for “repeat that” requests.
  • So: 可以/能再说一遍吗？ are both good; avoid 会再说一遍吗？ here.
Is 吗 required? How is it different from 呢 or 吧?
  • 吗 makes it a yes–no question. Without it, the sentence is an imperative unless you add other softeners.
  • 呢 doesn’t form yes–no questions by itself; it marks a topic or “how about…?”
  • 吧 softens a suggestion/command: 再说一遍吧 = “Go ahead and say it again.”
Is 说 the only choice? What about 讲?
  • 说 is the most common for “to say/speak.”
  • 讲 is also used (more common in some regions), often with similar meaning:
    • 你可以再讲一遍吗？
  • For “read aloud,” use 念/读:
    • 你可以再念一遍吗？
How do I ask them to repeat more slowly or louder?
  • Add degree complements like 慢一点/慢一点儿, 大声一点, 清楚一点.
  • Word order options:
    • After the verb phrase: 你可以再说一遍慢一点吗？
    • Before the verb: 你可以再慢一点说一遍吗？
  • All are natural.
Is 一下儿 okay? What’s the difference?
  • Yes. In northern/Beijing-style speech you’ll hear 一下儿 (yíxiàr) with -r sound (儿化). Meaning is the same; it can sound even more casual.
Does 再说 have other meanings I should beware of?
  • Yes. 再说 by itself can mean:
    • “We’ll talk about it later/let’s put it off” (e.g., 这个问题再说).
    • “Besides/what’s more” as a connective.
  • In your sentence 再说一下, 再 clearly modifies 说 to mean “say again,” so there’s no ambiguity.
What are typical replies to this question?
  • 可以 / 好 / 没问题 = “Sure/OK/No problem.”
  • Then the speaker repeats it.
  • If they can’t: 不好意思，我没听清楚你说哪一句。 or simply 不可以/现在不方便.
Can I use the A-not-A pattern?
  • Yes, very natural:
    • 可不可以再说一次？
    • 能不能再说一遍？
  • These sound like “Could you (or not) say it again?”
Are the spaces between words standard in Chinese writing?
  • No. Standard Chinese doesn’t use spaces between words. You’d write:
    • 你可以再说一下吗？
Will 再说一下 sound too casual compared to 再说一遍?
  • 再说一下 is polite and soft; it doesn’t sound rude or overly casual.
  • 再说一遍/一次 is a bit more explicit about “one full repeat,” which can be clearer in noisy or classroom settings.

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