20 Other Ways to Say 'I Beg Your Pardon.'

We've all been in that situation where we don't quite grasp what someone said, and so we say 'I beg your pardon?'. It's a phrase commonly used to indicate that there was something lost in the communication. But there are many other ways to say the same thing, depending on context and language usage. In this blog post, we'll explore 20 different ways to express 'I beg your pardon' and provide the meaning of each phrase. So, let's get started!

20 Other Ways to Say 'I Beg Your Pardon.'

Here are the numerous ways to express yourself when you need someone to repeat or clarify their words.

• 'Excuse me?'
• 'I'm sorry, could you repeat that?' 
• 'Pardon me?'
• 'Could you please clarify?'
• 'I didn't catch that, can you repeat?'
• 'Say that again?'
• 'I didn't quite hear you.'
• 'I'm sorry, what was that?'
• 'Could you run that by me again?'
• 'Say what now?'
• 'I beg your forgiveness?'
• 'What did you say?'
• 'Can you repeat yourself?'
• 'I didn't get that, sorry.'
• 'Would you mind repeating?'
• 'Could you elaborate, please?'
• 'Say that one more time?'
• 'Pardon my confusion, but...'
• 'I didn't follow, could you repeat?'
• 'Could you shed some light?' 

'Excuse me?'

'Excuse me?' is a common phrase used as an alternative to 'I beg your pardon'. It is often used in formal and informal settings when you don't hear something clearly or need someone to repeat what they said. This courteous expression can be used in a variety of contexts.For example, you are attending a conference and the speaker says something that you didn't quite catch. You can hand up and say, 'Excuse me,' in a respectful manner. Could you please repeat that last point? I didn't quite hear you.'

'I'm sorry, could you repeat that?'

'I'm sorry, could you repeat that?' is another way to say 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you don't catch or understand what someone said and you need them to repeat it. It is a polite and respectful way to request clarification.For instance, let's say you are in a business meeting and your colleague says something you didn't quite hear. 'I'm sorry, could you explain that?' you can respond.'I didn't catch what you said.' 

'Pardon me?'

'Pardon me?' is an alternate way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used in formal and polite contexts when you need someone to repeat what they said or to indicate that you didn't hear them. For example, you are attending a play and someone sitting near you speaks softly, making it difficult for you to understand. You can politely turn to them and say, 'Pardon me? What you just stated was lost on me.

'Could you please clarify?'

'Could you please clarify?' serves as an alternative to the phrase 'I beg your pardon'. This expression is used when you need someone to provide further explanation or make their message more understandable.For instance,  you are attending a lecture and the speaker uses complex terminology that you are unfamiliar with. You can raise your hand and ask, 'Could you please clarify the meaning of that term? I'm not quite following'

'I didn't catch that, can you repeat?'

'I didn't catch that, can you repeat?' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is used when you don't hear or understand what someone said and you need them to repeat it. For example, you are in a classroom and your teacher is giving instructions, but you missed a crucial step. You can raise your hand and say, 'I didn't catch that, can you repeat the last part? I want to confirm that I comprehended everything. 

'Say that again?'

'Say that again?' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you need someone to repeat what they said because you didn't hear or understand it clearly. It is a polite and straightforward way to request clarification.For example, you are at a concert and your friend tells you the name of the band playing, but the noise makes it difficult for you to hear. You can turn to your friend and say, 'Say that again? I was unable to hear the band's name. 

'I didn't quite hear you.'

'I didn't quite hear you.' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you do not get what someone said to you and you want them to start all over. For instance, you are at a business meeting and a colleague is speaking softly, making it hard for you to catch their words. You can politely say, 'I didn't quite hear you. Do you mind going back to what you just said?'

'I'm sorry, what was that?'

'I'm sorry, what was that?' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you sincerely want to know what someone said to you. The phrase shows you're interested in the discussion.  For example,   you are at a family gathering and your cousin is telling you a funny story, but you missed a crucial punchline. You can apologize and ask, 'What was that?'  I didn't quite catch the punchline.' 

'Could you run that by me again?'

Could you run that by me again?' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is also used when you miss a line on what someone is saying to you.  For instance,   you are in a team meeting and your manager quickly mentioned a new project, but you missed the details. You can politely ask, 'Could you run that by me again? I didn't catch all the specifics.' 

'Say what now?'

Say what now?' is yet another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you are shocked by a piece of information you just heard but you need to know what happened.  For example,   you are having a casual conversation with a friend and they mention a shocking piece of news, but you didn't catch all the details. You can respond with, 'Say what now? I didn't hear that. Could you please repeat it?' 

'I beg your forgiveness?'

'I beg your forgiveness?' is another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is used when you want to apologize for not hearing or understanding what someone said and you need them to repeat it. It is a formal and remorseful way to seek clarification.For example,   you are at a wedding reception and the bride mentions something important during her speech, but you were momentarily distracted and missed it. You can humbly say, 'I beg your forgiveness. I didn't catch what you said. Could you please repeat it?' 

'What did you say?'

'What did you say?' is another phrase that can be used as a substitute for 'I beg your pardon'. This expression is commonly used when you do miss a detail about the information one is telling you or when you need to grasp clarification about what they said. For instance, you are in a group conversation and one person mumbles something that you didn't catch. You can politely ask, 'What did you say? I didn't quite hear that.' 

'Can you repeat yourself?'

'Can you repeat yourself?' is yet another way to express 'I beg your pardon'. This phrase is commonly used when you want someone to repeat themselves because you didn't understand what they have said to say it again. For example,   you are in a classroom and your professor is giving a lecture, but you missed a key point. You can respectfully ask, 'Can you repeat yourself? I didn't quite catch that.' 

'I didn't get that, sorry.'

I didn't get that, sorry?' is an alternate phrase that can be used instead of 'I beg your pardon.' This expression is commonly used when you miss a line in the discussion and you want them to repeat themselves. For instance,   you are in a meeting and your colleague mentions an important deadline, but you are momentarily distracted and miss the details. You can politely say, 'I didn't get that, sorry? Could you please repeat the deadline?' 

'Would you mind repeating?'

 When seeking clarification, another way to express 'I beg your pardon' is by saying 'Would you mind repeating?' This phrase is polite and respectful, indicating that you did not fully grasp what was said and would appreciate it if the speaker could repeat themselves.For example, you are in a crowded restaurant and your friend tells you about a new restaurant opening, but you can't hear the name. You can politely ask, 'Would you mind repeating? I failed to remember the restaurant's name.' 

'Could you elaborate, please?'

Could you elaborate, please?' is another phrase that can be used as an alternative to 'I beg your pardon'. This expression is typically used when you need someone to provide more details or further clarify what they have said. It is a polite and respectful way to seek a more in-depth explanation.For instance, you are in a business meeting and someone mentions a new project, but you need more information before fully understanding its scope. You can politely request, 'Could you elaborate, please?' 

'Say that one more time?

'Say that one more time?' is another way to say 'I beg your pardon.' This phrase is commonly used when you don't hear or understand something and you need the speaker to repeat it. It is a straightforward yet polite manner to seek clarification.For example,   you are in a crowded coffee shop and your friend tells you about a great book they just read, but you missed the title. You can kindly ask, 'Say that one more time? What was the name of the book?' 

'Pardon my confusion, but...'

'Pardon my confusion, but...' is another phrase that can be used instead of 'I beg your pardon'. This expression is used when you want to apologize for not understanding something and seek further clarification. It is a polite and humble way to admit your confusion and ask for more information. For example, you are attending a conference and a speaker uses a technical term that you are unfamiliar with. You can respectfully say, 'Pardon my confusion, but I'm not familiar with that term. Could you please put it in simpler terms?'

'I didn't follow, could you repeat?'

Another way to express the idea of 'I beg your pardon' is to say, 'I didn't follow, could you repeat?' This phrase is often used when you don't understand or comprehend something that was said, and you need the speaker to repeat the information. It conveys a polite and genuine interest in wanting to fully grasp what was communicated.For example, you are in a conference and a speaker presents a complex concept that you were unable to comprehend fully. You can politely ask, 'I didn't follow, could you repeat? I'm having difficulty understanding the concept.' This shows your commitment to understanding the subject matter and allows the speaker to provide further clarification. 'I didn't follow, could you repeat?' is a versatile phrase that can be used in various situations where you need someone to reiterate and further their words.

'Could you shed some light?'

Another alternative to saying 'I beg your pardon' is to use the phrase 'Could you shed some light?'. This expression is commonly used when you need someone to provide more information or clarify a topic. It is a polite and curious way to seek further understanding. For instance, you are discussing a recent news article with a colleague, but there are some details that you are unclear about. You can politely ask, 'Could you shed some light? I'm not entirely sure about the background of the story. Can you provide more information?' 

Lastly

There are many alternative ways to express the sentiment of 'I beg your pardon'. These include expressing regret, inquiring for clarification, or simply expressing surprise. The precise phrase used will depend on the context and the relationship between speaker and listener, however, any of these alternative phrases can effectively communicate the idea behind 'I beg your pardon'.