Greetings and Basic Expressions
Lesson 5: Please Say It Again
もう一度お願いします — Asking for Help in Japanese
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
When you do not understand Japanese, it is okay to ask again. In this beginner Japanese lesson, you will learn polite Japanese phrases that help you ask someone to repeat, speak slowly, write something, or help you.
These expressions are useful in daily life at a store, restaurant, station, hospital, city hall, workplace, or Japanese lesson. Start with the simple phrase すみません。もう一度お願いします。
What you’ll learn:
- Say “Please say it again” — もう一度お願いします
- Say “Slowly, please” — ゆっくりお願いします
- Say “I don’t understand” — わかりません
- Ask someone to write something — 書いてください
- Ask for help politely — 手伝ってください
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
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2. Basic Section ／ すぐ使える言い方
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When you do not understand, do not stay silent. Use this polite pattern first:
Useful combinations:
- すみません。もう一度お願いします。
Sorry. Please say it again. - すみません。ゆっくりお願いします。
Sorry. Slowly, please. - すみません。書いてください。
Sorry. Please write it.
EXAMPLE
B: すみません。もう一度お願いします。
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3. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
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Don’t stay silent when you do not understand Japanese. It is polite and helpful to say すみません。わかりません。 or もう一度お願いします。
Polite or casual?
| Polite | Casual | English |
|---|---|---|
| もう一度お願いします。 | もう一回言って。 | Please say it again. |
| ゆっくりお願いします。 | ゆっくり言って。 | Slowly, please. |
| わかりません。 | わからない。 | I don’t understand. |
| 書いてください。 | 書いて。 | Please write it. |
| 手伝ってください。 | 手伝って。 | Please help me. |
For beginners, polite expressions are safer with teachers, store staff, older people, and people you meet for the first time.
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4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
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💬 Conversation 1 — Please Say It Again
💬 Conversation 2 — Please Speak Slowly
💬 Conversation 3 — I Don’t Understand
💬 Conversation 4 — Please Write It
💬 Conversation 5 — Please Help Me
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5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
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| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| もう一度 | moo ichido | one more time |
| もう一回 | moo ikkai | one more time |
| ゆっくり | yukkuri | slowly |
| 言ってください | itte kudasai | please say |
| 書いてください | kaite kudasai | please write |
| 手伝ってください | tetsudatte kudasai | please help |
| 日本語 | nihongo | Japanese language |
| 英語 | eego | English language |
| 電話番号 | denwa bangoo | phone number |
| 住所 | juusho | address |
| 名前 | namae | name |
| ここ | koko | here |
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6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. The answer and explanation are shown below each one.
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Q1. Question: How do you say “Please say it again” in Japanese?
Explanation: もう一度お願いします means “Please say it again.” Use it when you did not hear or understand something.
Q2. Question: How do you say “Slowly, please” in Japanese?
Explanation: ゆっくりお願いします is a polite way to ask someone to speak more slowly.
Q3. Question: How do you say “Please write it” in Japanese?
Explanation: 書いてください means “Please write it.” This is useful for phone numbers, addresses, and names.
Q4. Question: How do you say “I don’t understand Japanese well” in Japanese?
Explanation: 日本語がよくわかりません is a polite and useful phrase for beginner Japanese learners.
Q5. Question: Someone speaks too fast. What is the best response?
Explanation: When someone speaks too fast, say ゆっくりお願いします. It means “Slowly, please.”
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7. Practice Section ／ れんしゅう
Complete the phrases, then read them aloud three times. Use a clear and polite voice.
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Complete the conversations:
B: すみません。 お願いします。
B: すみません。 お願いします。
B: すみません。 。
B: すみません。 ください。
Speaking practice:
Say each phrase aloud three times.
- もう一度お願いします。
- ゆっくりお願いします。
- すみません。わかりません。
- 日本語がよくわかりません。
- 書いてください。
- 手伝ってください。
- 英語でお願いします。
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🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Use one Japanese phrase when you do not understand.
Try one of these phrases in a real or practice situation:
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson, you learned how to ask someone to repeat, speak slowly, write something, or help you. These polite Japanese phrases are very useful for beginner Japanese and JLPT N5 learners.
ゆっくりお願いします。
すみません。わかりません。
書いてください。
手伝ってください。
💡 One takeaway tip: If you do not understand, it is okay to ask again. Start with すみません, then use a polite request.
FAQ
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
Practice today’s Japanese conversation with a real teacher. Learn how to ask for repetition, speak more naturally, and feel confident when you do not understand Japanese.
Online or in-person — both available on request.