Breakdown of Por favor, repite la pregunta, así la comprendo mejor.
yo
I
por favor
please
mejor
better
la pregunta
the question
comprender
to understand
la
it
repetir
to repeat
así
that way
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Questions & Answers about Por favor, repite la pregunta, así la comprendo mejor.
In this sentence, is repite a command? How is it conjugated?
Yes. Here repite is an affirmative command addressed to tú (you, informal). It coincides in form with the 3rd-person present (él/ella repite), but context shows it’s an imperative.
- tú: repite
- usted: repita
- vosotros: repetid
- ustedes: repitan
How do I say it formally or to more than one person in Spain?
- Formal (usted): Por favor, repita la pregunta, así la comprendo mejor.
- Plural informal (vosotros): Por favor, repetid la pregunta, así la comprendo mejor.
- Plural formal (ustedes): Por favor, repitan la pregunta, así la comprendo mejor.
Is using the imperative rude? What are more polite alternatives?
The bare imperative can sound direct, though por favor softens it. Commonly in Spain, people use:
- ¿Puedes repetir la pregunta, por favor?
- ¿Podrías repetir la pregunta, por favor? (softer)
- ¿Podría repetir la pregunta, por favor? (formal) Adding Perdona/Perdone at the start softens it further.
Why is it la comprendo instead of just comprendo?
La is a direct object pronoun referring back to la pregunta. It makes the reference explicit: “I understand it (the question) better.” Without la, así comprendo mejor is more general (“I understand better [in general]”) and less precise in this context.
Can I use lo instead of la here?
Not to refer to la pregunta. Lo would refer to a masculine noun or to a neuter idea (e.g., lo dicho = “what was said”). Since pregunta is feminine, use la: así la comprendo mejor.
What exactly does así mean here? How is it different from así que or para que?
- así = “like that / in that way.” It describes the manner: “Do X; that way I understand it better.”
- así que = “so/therefore,” a causal connector: Hablaste muy bajo, así que no te oí.
- para que = “so that,” expressing purpose and triggering subjunctive: Por favor, repite la pregunta, para que la comprenda mejor.
Is the comma before así correct?
Yes. Spanish often uses a comma to link an instruction with its immediate result: Repite…, así… You could also say y así or split it into two sentences. The comma is perfectly fine here.
Can I change the word order?
Yes. All are natural:
- Así la entiendo mejor.
- La comprendo mejor así.
- Así comprendo mejor la pregunta. Keep in mind: with a conjugated verb, object pronouns normally go before it (la comprendo), except with affirmative imperatives/infinitives/gerunds (they attach: comprenderla, comprendiéndola, repítela).
Where do pronouns go with imperatives?
- Affirmative imperative: attach them to the verb and keep the stress with an accent if needed: Repítela (por favor).
- Negative imperative: place them before the verb: No la repitas (por favor).
How do I add “for me” (the pronoun me)?
- Affirmative: Repíteme la pregunta, por favor. / Repítemela, por favor.
- With poder: ¿Podrías repetírmela, por favor? Order with two pronouns is always indirect + direct: me la, not “la me.”
Do I need más with mejor?
No. Mejor already means “better.” Say la comprendo mejor, not “más mejor.” (Note: más bien means “rather,” which is different.)
Are comprender and entender interchangeable?
In everyday Spain Spanish, entender is more common; comprender can sound a bit more formal or thorough. Both are correct here:
- …así la entiendo mejor.
- …así la comprendo mejor.
Is le comprendo acceptable in Spain?
Leísmo (using le for a masculine person as direct object) is common and accepted with people: Le entiendo (meaning “I understand him/you-formal”). But for inanimate objects like la pregunta, use la, not le: la comprendo is the correct choice here.