你哪里不舒服？
nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu?
What hurts you?
How to say "Could you speak more slowly?" in Chinese
可以说慢一点吗？
kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?
Could you speak more slowly?
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
This is a polite request formed with 可以 (kěyǐ, can), the verb 说 (shuō, speak), 慢一点 (màn yìdiǎn, a bit slower), and the question particle 吗 (ma).
Variations and politeness
请慢一点
qǐng màn yìdiǎn
Please speak more slowly. — More polite because it uses 请 (qǐng), meaning 'please'.
能不能慢一点
néng bù néng màn yìdiǎn
Can you speak more slowly? — More casual and colloquial, using 能不能 (néng bù néng) instead of 可以.
Mini dialogue
A
你好，可以说慢一点吗？
nǐ hǎo, kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?
Hello, could you speak more slowly?
B
当然可以，请问你哪里不明白？
dāngrán kěyǐ, qǐngwèn nǐ nǎlǐ bù míngbái?
Of course, may I ask where you don't understand?
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you need someone to slow down their speech, especially in service settings like a doctor's office or pharmacy.
- When speaking to strangers or people you want to show respect to, as it is a polite request.
Avoid when
- When speaking to close friends or family, as it may sound overly formal; a more casual phrase would be better.
- When you only say '慢一点' without 可以, which sounds abrupt and impolite.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'Could you speak more slowly?' in Chinese?
You can say 'kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?' (可以说慢一点吗？).
How do you pronounce '可以说慢一点吗？'?
It is pronounced 'kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?'. The tones are: kě (3rd), yǐ (3rd), shuō (1st), màn (4th), yì (4th), diǎn (3rd), ma (neutral).
When should I use '可以说慢一点吗？'?
Use it when you need someone to speak more slowly, especially in formal or service situations like at a doctor's office or pharmacy. It is polite and appropriate for strangers.
More phrases for this situation
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