Conversational Japanese Quiz: Asking For Repetition
10 questions · exam conditions
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Asking For RepetitionQuestion 1 of 10

Sara is at a train station and an announcement is made over a loudspeaker, but it cuts out in the middle. She approaches a station employee to ask about the announcement she missed.

Sara wants to ask the employee to repeat the announcement content. Which approach is most effective and appropriate given that the employee did not personally make the announcement?

「すみません、さっきのアナウンスをもう一度流していただけますか。途中で聞こえなくなってしまいました。」
「すみません、アナウンスがわかりませんでした。もう一度最初からアナウンスしていただけますか。」
「すみません、もう一度ゆっくりおっしゃっていただけますか。アナウンスが速すぎてわかりませんでした。」
「すみません、先ほどのアナウンスの内容を教えていただけますか。途中から聞こえなくなってしまいまして。」
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Conversational Japanese Quiz

Conversational Japanese Quiz: Asking For Repetition

Practice Asking For Repetition in Conversational Japanese with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Asking For Repetition, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Conversational Japanese.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Sara is at a train station and an announcement is made over a loudspeaker, but it cuts out in the middle. She approaches a station employee to ask about the announcement she missed.

Sara wants to ask the employee to repeat the announcement content. Which approach is most effective and appropriate given that the employee did not personally make the announcement?

  1. 「すみません、さっきのアナウンスをもう一度流していただけますか。途中で聞こえなくなってしまいました。」
  2. 「すみません、アナウンスがわかりませんでした。もう一度最初からアナウンスしていただけますか。」
  3. 「すみません、もう一度ゆっくりおっしゃっていただけますか。アナウンスが速すぎてわかりませんでした。」
  4. 「すみません、先ほどのアナウンスの内容を教えていただけますか。途中から聞こえなくなってしまいまして。」 (correct answer)
Explanation: When asking someone for help in Japanese, you need to match your request to what that person can actually do. This is the key insight for this question — the employee didn't make the announcement themselves, so what action can they realistically perform? Choice D is the most effective approach because it asks the employee to share information they likely have access to: 「先ほどのアナウンスの内容を教えていただけますか」("Could you tell me the content of the earlier announcement?"). It also politely explains the situation with 「途中から聞こえなくなってしまいまして」, using the softer sentence-ending 「〜まして」 for added formality. This is realistic — a station employee can explain what was announced without needing technical control over the PA system. Choice A asks the employee to replay the announcement (「流していただけますか」), which assumes they have control over the PA broadcast system. A floor employee almost certainly doesn't have that ability, making this an impractical request despite its polite phrasing. Choice B makes a similar mistake — it asks the employee to personally make the announcement again (「アナウンスしていただけますか」), treating them as if they were the announcer. This misidentifies their role entirely. Choice C is the most off-target. 「おっしゃっていただけますか」 means "could you please say it again," implying the employee was the one speaking to Sara directly — as if she misheared a face-to-face conversation, not a PA announcement. As a study tip: in situational Japanese questions, always ask yourself who is being asked and what they are capable of doing — politeness alone doesn't make a request appropriate.

Question 2

A student is in a Japanese language class and does not understand the teacher's instructions. The student wants to ask the teacher to speak more slowly. Which expression is grammatically correct AND appropriately polite for this classroom context?

  1. 「先生、ゆっくり話してください。わかりませんでした。」
  2. 「先生、もっとゆっくり話していただけますか。少し速くて聞き取れませんでした。」 (correct answer)
  3. 「先生、ゆっくり言え。速すぎてわからない。」
  4. 「先生、話すのをやめてください。もう一度始めてください。」
Explanation: When asking someone to do something differently in Japanese, the level of politeness you choose must match the social context. In a classroom, a student speaking to a teacher requires keigo (敬語) — specifically, humble or polite request forms that show respect for the teacher's higher social position. Option B is the correct choice because 「話していただけますか」uses the te-form + いただけますか, which is a polished, indirect way of asking a favor from someone of higher status. It literally means "Would you be so kind as to speak...?" The addition of 「もっとゆっくり」(more slowly) and the natural explanation 「少し速くて聞き取れませんでした」(It was a little fast and I couldn't catch it) makes the sentence both grammatically complete and socially appropriate. Option A uses 「話してください」, which is polite but somewhat blunt for addressing a teacher — it's the kind of phrasing you'd use with a peer or in a casual setting, not a formal classroom. It also fails to explain why you're asking, which feels abrupt. Option C is outright rude: 「言え」is a plain command form (imperative), appropriate only when speaking downward in hierarchy, such as an adult to a young child. Using it with a teacher would be shockingly disrespectful. Option D is entirely off-topic — asking the teacher to stop speaking and start over doesn't address the student's actual need, and it would also be considered very impolite. As a study tip, always pair your request form with the social relationship: plain imperative → rude; ください → polite but blunt; ていただけますか → respectful and appropriate for superiors.

Question 3

Maria is a foreign exchange student in Osaka. Her host mother gives her instructions about the household rules. Maria understands most of it but misses the part about trash disposal schedules.

Maria wants to ask her host mother to repeat only the part she missed, without asking her to repeat everything. Which phrase is most appropriate?

  1. 「もう一度、最初から全部説明していただけますか。よく聞こえなかったので。」
  2. 「ごみの出し方のところだけ、もう一度教えていただけますか。そこだけ聞き取れなかったので。」 (correct answer)
  3. 「すみません、ゆっくり話していただけますか。全体的に少し難しかったです。」
  4. 「ごみのことはわかりました。他のルールについてもう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。」
Explanation: When navigating Japanese communication, precision matters — especially when you want to request clarification about only a specific part of what was said, not the whole thing. This type of question tests whether you can match the speaker's actual need to the most contextually appropriate phrase. Maria's situation is clear: she understood most of the instructions but missed only the trash disposal part. The ideal phrase should (1) identify the specific section she missed, (2) ask for only that part to be repeated, and (3) do so politely. Option B does exactly this — 「ごみの出し方のところだけ」 ("only the part about trash disposal") pinpoints the missed content, 「もう一度教えていただけますか」 makes a polite request, and 「そこだけ聞き取れなかったので」 explains that only that part was unclear. Every element aligns with Maria's actual need. Option A is a trap because 「最初から全部」 means "everything from the beginning" — the opposite of what Maria wants. It would make her seem inattentive when she actually understood most of the explanation. Option C asks the host mother to speak more slowly going forward and implies the entire explanation was difficult (「全体的に」), which doesn't match the situation at all. Option D contains a factual contradiction — it says Maria understood the trash part (「ごみのことはわかりました」) and asks about other rules, which is the reverse of her actual problem. A useful habit: before choosing a phrase, re-read the scenario and ask, "What exactly does this person need?" Distractors often address a similar but different need — the details in the Japanese phrasing reveal the mismatch.

Question 4

Kenji is on a phone call with a customer service representative. There is background noise and he misses an important number. He wants to confirm what he heard without making it seem like he was completely lost.

Kenji thinks he heard '3番' but is not certain. Which phrase most appropriately asks the representative to confirm or repeat only that detail?

  1. 「もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。電話が少し聞こえにくかったもので、番号が聞き取れませんでした。」
  2. 「3番とおっしゃいましたか。少し確認させていただきたいのですが。」 (correct answer)
  3. 「すみません、最初からもう一度ゆっくり話していただけますか。全部もう一度聞きたいです。」
  4. 「番号はわかりましたが、他の情報をもう一度教えていただけますか。聞き取りにくかったので。」
Explanation: When confirming a specific detail in Japanese — especially in formal phone conversations — the key skill is targeted clarification: you want to verify only the piece of information you're unsure about, without implying you were completely lost or asking the other person to repeat everything unnecessarily. The most natural and polite way to do this is to echo back what you think you heard and attach a confirming question. That's exactly what B does: 「3番とおっしゃいましたか」 ("Did you say number 3?") pinpoints the uncertain detail, and 「少し確認させていただきたいのですが」 adds polite hedging without over-apologizing. This shows Kenji was mostly following the conversation — he just needs to confirm one point. Looking at the wrong choices, A asks the representative to repeat the entire number from scratch because Kenji "couldn't hear it at all." This contradicts the scenario — Kenji did catch something (「3番」), so admitting total confusion would be inaccurate and slightly embarrassing in a professional context. C goes even further, asking the representative to start completely over from the beginning, slowly — this is far too much to request when only a single detail is in question, and it comes across as inconsiderate. D is the opposite problem: it claims Kenji understood the number perfectly, then asks for other information to be repeated — which directly contradicts what the scenario tells us. As a study tip, watch for questions where the scenario gives you partial information — these are testing whether you can choose language that's calibrated to your actual level of understanding, not under- or over-stating your confusion.

Question 5

Tanaka is attending a business meeting in Tokyo. A colleague speaks very quickly while explaining a complex proposal. Tanaka did not catch the key details but wants to appear professional while asking for clarification.

Which response best allows Tanaka to ask for repetition in a polite, professional manner without implying the speaker was unclear?

  1. 「すみません、もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。少し聞き取りにくかったもので。」 (correct answer)
  2. 「ちょっと待ってください。あなたの話し方が速すぎてわかりませんでした。」
  3. 「もう一度言ってください。私は日本語がまだ上手ではありません。」
  4. 「すみません、今は忙しいので、後でもう一度説明してもらえますか。」
Explanation: When navigating professional Japanese settings, keigo (敬語) — honorific language — is essential, but so is how you frame a request. The real skill tested here is asking for repetition while keeping the responsibility on yourself, not the speaker. This protects the speaker's face (面目, mentsu) and maintains harmony in a business context. Option A does exactly this. 「おっしゃっていただけますか」uses the honorific verb おっしゃる (the respectful form of 言う) combined with the humble request form 〜ていただけますか, signaling deep respect. Crucially, the phrase 「少し聞き取りにくかったもので」("because I had a little difficulty catching it") places the difficulty on the listener — Tanaka — not the speaker. This is the gold standard for professional Japanese communication. Option B is the clear wrong turn. 「あなたの話し方が速すぎて」directly criticizes the speaker's pace, which is blunt and socially inappropriate in Japanese business culture. Using あなた itself can feel presumptuous in formal settings, and pointing out someone else's fault is a significant breach of professional etiquette. Option C shifts the blame onto Tanaka's Japanese ability, which might seem humble, but it's inappropriate in a workplace context — it implies incompetence rather than simply requesting clarification, and it sounds overly self-deprecating in an unprofessional way. Option D changes the subject entirely, asking to postpone the explanation rather than requesting immediate repetition. This doesn't solve Tanaka's problem and could suggest disinterest. Study tip: In Japanese business communication questions, always look for the answer that uses honorific language and frames problems as the speaker's own — that combination signals true keigo mastery.

Question 6

Ahmed is visiting a Japanese doctor's office. The doctor explains his diagnosis quickly using medical terminology. Ahmed is worried about missing important health information and wants to ask the doctor to explain again more simply and slowly.

Which response best combines a request for repetition WITH a request for simpler language, appropriate for this formal medical context?

  1. 「先生、もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。もう少しわかりやすい言葉でご説明いただければ大変助かります。」 (correct answer)
  2. 「先生、難しい言葉は使わないでください。もっと簡単に、ゆっくり話してください。全然わかりませんでした。」
  3. 「先生、ゆっくり話していただければそれで十分です。専門用語はそのままでも構いませんので。」
  4. 「先生、後で説明の資料をいただけますか。話を聞くより読んだほうが内容を理解しやすいと思いまして。」
Explanation: When navigating formal Japanese situations like medical consultations, you need to balance two linguistic elements simultaneously: appropriate keigo (丁寧語/敬語) and communicative clarity. Questions like this test whether you can identify phrasing that is both functionally complete and socially appropriate for the context. Choice A is correct because it elegantly combines both requests the patient needs. 「もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか」uses the honorific verb おっしゃる (the respectful form of 言う) plus the humble request form ～ていただけますか, showing proper deference to the doctor. Then 「わかりやすい言葉でご説明いただければ大変助かります」politely requests simpler language using conditional phrasing (～いただければ) that softens the demand, making it sound like a favor rather than a command. Together, these cover repetition AND simplification — exactly what Ahmed needs. Choice B fails in register. While the content addresses both needs, the phrasing — 「使わないでください」and 「話してください」— uses plain imperative requests that sound blunt and even rude toward a doctor. The phrase 「全然わかりませんでした」also risks sounding accusatory. Choice C is incomplete — it only requests speaking slowly and explicitly says 「専門用語はそのままでも構いません」(technical terms are fine as-is), which directly contradicts Ahmed's actual need for simpler language. Choice D sidesteps the issue entirely by asking for written materials, avoiding the core requests for repetition and simplification altogether. Study tip: In Japanese medical or formal contexts, watch for ～ていただけますか and conditional ～いただければ as markers of politely softened requests — these are the gold standard for showing respect while still expressing a genuine need.

Question 7

Two colleagues, Yuki and Hiro, are having a casual conversation. Yuki mumbles something and Hiro does not catch it. They are close friends of equal status.

In this informal, equal-status context, which response is most natural for Hiro to use when asking Yuki to repeat what was said?

  1. 「おっしゃっていただけますか。聞こえませんでした。」
  2. 「ご発言をもう一度お聞かせいただけますでしょうか。」
  3. 「え、なんて言ったの？もう一回言って。」 (correct answer)
  4. 「すみません、もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。少し聞き取りにくかったものですから。」
Explanation: When studying Japanese communication, one of the most important skills is matching your speech register (語域) to the social context. Japanese has distinct levels of formality — casual (タメ口/ため口) for friends and equals, and keigo (敬語, honorific language) for superiors or formal situations. This question tests whether you can identify which register fits a casual, equal-status friendship. Since Yuki and Hiro are close friends of equal standing, the natural choice is C:「え、なんて言ったの？もう一回言って。」This uses plain-form Japanese — 「言ったの？」(casual past-tense question) and 「言って」(casual te-form request) — which is exactly what you'd expect between friends. The 「え」at the start also sounds natural and spontaneous, like a real moment of not catching something. The other options all misuse keigo in a context where it would feel stiff, distant, or even sarcastic between close friends. A uses 「おっしゃっていただけますか」, an honorific verb form (おっしゃる is the respectful version of 言う) that you'd use with a superior, not a peer. B escalates even further with 「ご発言」and 「お聞かせいただけますでしょうか」— extremely formal phrasing you might see in a business letter or speech, completely unnatural in casual conversation. D is polite and natural for a semi-formal setting (like with a colleague you don't know well), but its use of 「おっしゃっていただけますか」still applies honorifics inappropriate for an equal-status friendship. As a study strategy, always identify the relationship and setting before choosing a response. Ask yourself: are these people friends, strangers, or in a hierarchy? That single factor determines whether ため口 or keigo is appropriate.

Question 8

During a video call with a Japanese business partner, the connection becomes unstable and Lena misses a sentence. She wants to ask for repetition but also wants to explain WHY she missed it so the partner does not think she was inattentive.

Which response most effectively asks for repetition while attributing the communication gap to the technical issue rather than inattention?

  1. 「申し訳ございません、今少し回線が不安定で聞き取れませんでした。もう一度おっしゃっていただけますでしょうか。」 (correct answer)
  2. 「すみません、先ほどのところが聞き取れませんでした。もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか。」
  3. 「すみません、日本語が難しくてわかりませんでした。もっとゆっくりおっしゃっていただけますか。」
  4. 「申し訳ございません、今ちょっと考えごとをしていたので、もう一度おっしゃっていただけますでしょうか。」
Explanation: When navigating professional Japanese communication, you need to evaluate two dimensions simultaneously: the level of formality and the specific reason given for missing the information. Business contexts demand keigo (敬語), and the scenario specifically asks you to blame the technical issue — not yourself, not the language, and certainly not inattention. Option A accomplishes both goals perfectly. It opens with 「申し訳ございません」, a highly formal apology appropriate for business, then explicitly identifies the cause: 「回線が不安定で」(the connection was unstable). This directly attributes the communication gap to the technical issue before making the request with the polished 「おっしゃっていただけますでしょうか」. This is your correct answer. Option B is close in politeness but crucially missing — it says she couldn't hear 「先ほどのところ」(the earlier part) without ever explaining why. The partner is left to wonder whether Lena was simply not paying attention, which is exactly the impression the scenario asks you to avoid. Option C is a significant misstep: it blames the language itself (「日本語が難しくて」— "Japanese is difficult"), which could embarrass the partner or sound condescending in a professional setting. Asking someone to speak more slowly also implies the issue is comprehension speed, not connection quality. Option D is the trap answer — it literally confesses to daydreaming (「考えごとをしていた」), which is the worst possible thing to admit to a business partner. High formality alone cannot save an answer with poor content. Study tip: On business Japanese questions, always check whether the reason given matches the scenario's intent — polite phrasing means nothing if the content sends the wrong message.

Question 9

During a group tour in Kyoto, the tour guide speaks too fast for non-native Japanese speaker Carlos to follow. Other group members seem to understand, and Carlos does not want to slow down the entire tour but needs key information.

Which strategy allows Carlos to ask for repetition while being mindful of the group dynamic and not significantly disrupting the tour for others?

  1. 「すみません、全員のためにもう一度ゆっくり説明していただけますか。皆さんも困っていると思います。」
  2. 「すみません、ツアーはもう結構です。わからないのでここで待っています。後で教えてもらえますか。」
  3. 「すみません、今の説明はわかりませんでした。ツアーを止めて、最初からもう一度説明してください。」
  4. 「すみません、後で個人的に今の説明をもう一度教えていただけますか。少し聞き取れなかったもので。」 (correct answer)
Explanation: When navigating social situations in Japanese, context matters enormously. Questions like this test not just vocabulary, but your understanding of meiwaku (迷惑) — the cultural concept of avoiding inconvenience to others. Carlos's challenge is balancing his personal need with his responsibility to the group. The ideal response here is D: 「すみません、後で個人的に今の説明をもう一度教えていただけますか。少し聞き取れなかったもので。」 This works because it requests a private, later repetition, minimizing disruption entirely. The phrase 「少し聞き取れなかったもので」softens the request by framing it as a minor listening issue rather than a major comprehension failure, which is appropriately humble (謙虚). The て-form 「もので」adds a polite, explanatory tone. Crucially, the tour continues uninterrupted for everyone else. Each wrong answer fails for specific reasons. A presumes other members are also struggling — claiming 「皆さんも困っていると思います」without evidence is presumptuous and could embarrass others. It also still requests a full re-explanation for the group, defeating the purpose. B removes Carlos from the tour entirely and places an inconvenient burden on the guide later — it's an overreaction that signals defeat rather than graceful problem-solving. C is the most disruptive option: 「ツアーを止めて、最初からもう一度説明してください」directly commands the guide to stop and restart, which is both impolite in register (missing 〜ていただけますか) and clearly inconsiderate of the group. As a study tip: when Japanese communication scenarios involve group settings, look for the answer that minimizes imposition (迷惑をかけない) while still being politely assertive — that balance is almost always the correct choice.

Question 10

Jin is taking a Japanese language proficiency test preparation class. The instructor reads a listening passage aloud once, but Jin misses a critical word. The class policy is that passages are only read once unless a student has a valid reason to request a re-read.

Jin wants to request that the instructor re-read the passage. Which request is most likely to be considered valid and appropriate under the class policy?

  1. 「先生、もう一度読んでいただけますか。集中していなかったので聞き逃してしまいました。」
  2. 「先生、もう一度読んでいただけますか。試験では何度でも聞き直せると思っていたので準備不足でした。」
  3. 「先生、もう一度読んでいただけますか。外から急に大きな音がして、一部が聞き取れませんでした。」 (correct answer)
  4. 「先生、もう一度読んでいただけますか。前の授業の内容と混乱してしまったので、整理したいです。」
Explanation: このような問題では、「有効な理由」とは何かを考えることが大切です。クラスの方針では、「正当な理由がある場合のみ」再読をお願いできます。つまり、自分のコントロール外の出来事が原因で聞き取れなかった場合が、最も説得力のある理由になります。 選択肢Cが最も適切な理由は、「外から急に大きな音がした」という外部の予期せぬ出来事によって聞き取れなかったからです。これは本人の準備不足や不注意ではなく、誰にでも起こりうる客観的な状況です。先生も納得しやすい、合理的な根拠と言えます。 一方、間違いの選択肢を見てみましょう。選択肢Aは「集中していなかった」と自ら認めており、これは自己責任です。注意を怠ったことを理由にするのは、再読の正当な根拠になりません。選択肢Bは「準備不足だった」と述べており、さらに「試験では何度でも聞き直せると思っていた」という誤解も含まれています。これは言い訳にもならず、むしろ印象を悪くします。選択肢Dは「前の授業の内容と混乱した」という理由ですが、これも個人の理解の問題であり、再読を求める有効な理由とは言えません。 勉強のコツ： 日本語の場面理解問題では、「誰の責任か」「状況は客観的か主観的か」を判断する視点が重要です。自己責任の理由より、外的・不可抗力的な理由の方が「正当性」として認められやすいというパターンを覚えておきましょう。