You hear someone’s name on the phone — but you are not completely sure what they said.
Do not guess.
Use one polite sentence:
“Sorry, could you repeat your name, please?”
打电话时没有听清楚对方的名字很正常。
不要猜，可以礼貌地说：
“Sorry, could you repeat your name, please?”
意思是：
“不好意思，您能再说一遍您的名字吗？”
If the name is still unclear, ask them to spell it.
Then repeat the name back before continuing the conversation.
“Of course.”
Listen again, then confirm:
“So your name is Li Ming, is that right?”
Still not sure?
Ask:
“Could you spell your name for me, please?”
10 useful phone phrases for checking a name
| English | Chinese meaning / 中文 |
|---|---|
| Sorry, could you repeat your name, please? | 不好意思，您能再说一遍您的名字吗？ Bù hǎoyìsi, nín néng zài shuō yí biàn nín de míngzi ma? |
| Could you spell your name for me, please? | 您能把您的名字拼一下吗？ Nín néng bǎ nín de míngzi pīn yíxià ma? |
| How do you spell that? | 这个怎么拼？ Zhège zěnme pīn? |
| I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. | 不好意思，我没听清楚您的名字。 |
| Could you say that a little more slowly? | 您能说慢一点吗？ |
| Let me make sure I have it right. | 让我确认一下我有没有听对。 |
| So your name is Li Ming, correct? | 所以您的名字是李明，对吗？ |
| Is that L-I or L-E-E? | 是 L-I 还是 L-E-E？ |
| Thank you for repeating that. | 谢谢您再说一遍。 |
| Great, I have your name now. | 好的，我现在记下您的名字了。 |
A real phone conversation
Fictional practice dialogue / 电话对话示例
Caller:
“Good afternoon. This is Li Ming from Star Travel.”
You:
“Sorry, could you repeat your name, please?”
你：
“不好意思，您能再说一遍您的名字吗？”
Caller:
“Of course. It’s Li Ming.”
You:
“Could you spell your family name for me, please?”
Caller:
“Sure. L-I.”
You:
“Great. So your name is Li Ming, correct?”
Caller:
“Yes, that’s right.”
You:
“Perfect. Thank you.”
The useful pattern is:
ask again → ask for spelling if needed → repeat the name back → confirm.
A sentence you can copy
“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Could you repeat it, please?”
“不好意思，我没听清楚您的名字。您能再说一遍吗？”
Problem → Need → Request
Problem:
I heard a name, but I am not sure I understood it correctly.
Need:
I need to confirm the person’s name before continuing.
Request:
“Sorry, could you repeat your name, please?”
问题： 我听到了名字，但不确定是否听清楚。
需要： 我需要确认对方的名字。
请求： “不好意思，您能再说一遍您的名字吗？”
Before the call
- Have a pen or notes app ready.
- Listen carefully when the caller introduces themselves.
- Do not pretend you understood a name.
- Ask for spelling when necessary.
- Repeat important details back.
- Confirm the name before ending the call.
Your three-round speaking mission / 三轮口语练习任务
-
Ask again:
“Sorry, could you repeat your name, please?”
“不好意思，您能再说一遍您的名字吗？” -
Get the spelling:
“Could you spell your name for me, please?”
“您能把您的名字拼一下吗？” -
Confirm:
“So your name is _____, is that correct?”
“所以您的名字是_____，对吗？”
Swap roles and practise with different names.
Surprise round:
The phone connection is bad.
Say:
“Sorry, the connection isn’t very clear. Could you say your name again slowly?”
A few useful answers
Is it rude to ask someone to repeat their name?
No. It is much better to ask politely than to use the wrong name.
Can I ask them to spell it?
Absolutely.
Say:
“Could you spell your name for me, please?”
Should I repeat the name back?
Yes.
A quick confirmation prevents mistakes:
“So your name is Chen Wei, correct?”
What if I still cannot understand?
Slow the conversation down:
“Could you say that a little more slowly?”
