Scusa, puoi ripetere la domanda?

Questions & Answers about Scusa, puoi ripetere la domanda?

Why is it scusa and not scusi?
Scusa is the informal way to say sorry or excuse me, used with friends or people your own age. If you were speaking to a stranger or an older person, you would use the formal version, scusi. We know this sentence is informal because it uses puoi (informal you can).
Where is the word for "you" in puoi ripetere?
In Italian, you usually leave out the subject pronoun like tu (you) because the verb itself changes to show who is doing the action. The word puoi already means you can, so you don't need to add tu unless you want to add special emphasis.
Why does ripetere end in -ere instead of changing to match the "you" subject?
Ripetere is an infinitive verb, which is the dictionary form that translates to "to repeat". When you use a helping verb that expresses ability like puoi (you can), the main verb that follows it always stays in its full infinitive form.
Does domanda mean "demand"?
No, this is a false friend! Domanda looks like the English word demand, but it actually means "question". If you want to say "to ask a question" in Italian, you use the phrase fare una domanda (literally: to make a question).

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