تحدث ببطء من فضلك.

When to use

Use this phrase when someone is speaking too quickly for you to follow. It is a polite request for them to slow down.

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Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In casual conversation, dialectal phrases like 'shway shway' (slowly/little by little) are used more directly.

How it works

An imperative verb modified by a prepositional phrase, followed by 'please'.

• تَحَدَّثْ (tahaddath): Imperative verb, 'speak', directed at a male.
• بِبُطْءٍ (bi-but'): Prepositional phrase, 'slowly'. 'bi-' (بِـ) means 'with' or 'in', and 'but'' (بُطْء) means 'slowness'.
• مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min fadlika): 'Please', with the suffix '-ka' for a male.

Gender Agreement

Arabic requires gender agreement when addressing someone. To ask a female to speak slowly, change the verb to 'تحدثي' (tahaddathi) and the polite phrase to 'من فضلكِ' (min fadliki).

Pronunciation Nuances

The 'th' (ث) sound is a voiceless dental fricative, like 'th' in 'thin'. The 't'' (ط) is an emphatic 't', pronounced with the back of the tongue raised.

Notes

Good when locals speak too quickly. Polite and safe with strangers.