I Can’t Hear You In Spanish | Clear Phrases For Real Talk

The most common way to say you can’t hear someone in Spanish is “No te oigo,” which sounds like “noh teh OY-goh.”

You join a call, Spanish comes through your headphones, and you only catch every other word. You want a quick, polite way to say you cannot hear well, not a long grammar lesson.

This guide gives you clear phrases and small tips so you feel ready on the phone, in person, or online.

What People Mean When They Say I Can’t Hear You In Spanish

When someone says “I can’t hear you,” the problem is not always volume. There might be loud music, a weak signal, a bad microphone, or an accent that you are not used to yet. Spanish speakers react to those issues with short lines, friendly tone, and a small smile or gesture.

Spanish uses two main verbs for hearing: oír (to hear) and escuchar (to listen). Both show up in versions of “I can’t hear you.” In many regions people swap them freely, so as a learner you can copy the phrases you hear without worrying too much about deep rules.

Your goal is simple: send a clear signal that sound is not reaching you and invite the other person to repeat or adjust.

Core Ways To Say You Can’t Hear Someone In Spanish

Here are the phrases you will use the most when you need to say that you cannot hear someone in Spanish. Think of them as small blocks you can adjust for casual or formal speech.

Informal Phrases With Tú

Use these with friends, family, and people your age:

• No te oigo. — “I can’t hear you.” Short and common.
• No te oigo bien. — “I can’t hear you well.” Some sound, but not clear.
• Apenas te escucho. — “I can barely hear you.” Good when the line keeps cutting.
• No entiendo, no te escucho bien. — “I don’t understand, I don’t hear you well.”

In speech, many people add a small word like oye (hey) or the other person’s name at the start: “Juan, no te oigo bien.” That softens the message and keeps the mood friendly.

More Formal Versions With Usted

With strangers, older people, or customer service staff, switch to usted forms:

• No lo oigo. — “I can’t hear you.” Neutral and polite.
• No la escucho bien. — Same idea, using escuchar.
• Perdone, no le oigo bien. — “Sorry, I can’t hear you well.” Great on the phone.

Summary Of Core Hearing Phrases

This table gives a compact view of the main options and where they fit best.

Spanish Phrase	Typical Setting	Nuance
No te oigo	Informal calls and chats	Simple “I can’t hear you” to one person
No te oigo bien	Noisy places, weak signal	Some sound, but not clear
Apenas te escucho	Choppy audio, bad microphone	Almost no sound reaches you
No lo oigo	Formal talk with usted	Polite, neutral version
Perdone, no le oigo bien	Customer service, clients, staff	Respectful and clear about the problem
No se escucha bien	Any setting with audio issues	The line or system sounds bad

Softening Phrases When You Can’t Hear Someone In Spanish

The words alone can sound sharp if you say them with a flat voice. Spanish speakers often add tiny softening phrases before or after a hearing line so they sound patient instead of annoyed.

Short Words That Help Your Tone

These small words appear all the time:

• Perdón. — “Sorry.” Very common before a request.
• Disculpa. / Disculpe. — Informal and formal versions of “excuse me.”
• Oye. / Oiga. — Call for the other person’s attention.

Put them at the start or end:

Perdón, no te oigo bien.
Disculpe, no lo escucho.

Friendly Requests To Repeat Or Speak Louder

Instead of only stating the problem, you can add a short, clear request:

• ¿Puedes repetir, por favor? / ¿Puede repetir, por favor? — “Can you repeat, please?”
• ¿Puedes hablar más alto? — “Can you speak louder?”
• ¿Te puedes acercar al micrófono? — “Can you move closer to the microphone?”

One hearing phrase plus one request already sounds natural.

How Oír And Escuchar Sit Behind These Phrases

You do not need a full grammar course to use these lines, but knowing the basic idea of each verb helps. The verb oír often refers to the physical act of hearing, while escuchar tends to suggest paying attention to what you hear.

The dictionary entry for oír from the Real Academia Española defines it as perceiving sounds with the ear, and the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas adds notes on spelling and careful use in contrast with escuchar.

Linguistic guides from Spanish language institutions explain the practical difference this way: oír is what happens by itself when sound reaches you, while escuchar is what you do when you choose to pay attention.

Using These Hearing Phrases On The Phone And Online

Once you move away from a face to face chat, you also need words for devices and signals. Here are useful lines for calls, video meetings, and voice messages.

When You Hear Nothing At All

• No se oye nada. — “Nothing can be heard.”
• No escucho nada. — “I don’t hear anything.”
• Creo que estás en silencio. — “I think you’re on mute.”

Follow any of those with a short request: “No se oye nada, ¿puedes revisar el micrófono?”

When The Sound Cuts In And Out

• Se corta mucho. — “It keeps cutting out.”
• Te escucho entrecortado. — “I hear you cutting in and out.”
• La conexión está muy mala, casi no te oigo. — “The connection is very bad, I can hardly hear you.”

Working With Subtle Variants Like No Te Oigo Bien

Online dictionaries give many real examples with “No te oigo” and “No te oigo bien.” On SpanishDict, for instance, you can read phone dialogues where someone says “No te oigo, mamá” and then decides to hang up and call back.

Quick Situation Guide For Spanish Hearing Problems

This second table pairs everyday problems with Spanish phrases you can copy during calls or chats.

Situation	Spanish Phrase	Level
No sound on a call	No se oye nada	Neutral
Low volume in a bar or café	No te oigo bien, ¿puedes hablar más alto?	Informal
Talking to a service agent	Perdone, no la escucho bien	Formal
Group meeting on video	No los oigo, creo que están en silencio	Neutral
Bad internet connection	Se corta mucho, apenas te escucho	Informal
Public talk with a microphone	No se escucha bien el micrófono	Neutral

Pronunciation Tips So People Understand You

Knowing the right words is one step; saying them clearly enough in Spanish so others understand you is the next one. Phrases like “No te oigo” are short, and with a little practice they start to feel automatic.

Focus on three small points:

• The sound of te — keep it short, like “teh.”
• The stress in oigo — the strong part is “OY,” not “go.”
• The rhythm — say “NO-te-OY-go” with a tiny pause after “no.”

Many Spanish schools suggest active listening and repetition with audio clips. Guides like the Enforex article on Spanish pronunciation rules walk you through stress patterns and accent marks.

One simple routine is to pick one phrase a day, say it ten times slowly, then ten times at normal speed while you move around the room. That kind of physical rhythm keeps your mind relaxed and helps your mouth learn the pattern. You can do the same drill while you wash dishes, walk the dog, or wait in line. So a single phone phrase turns into light practice woven through your day almost without extra effort.

Common Mistakes With Spanish Hearing Phrases

Every learner trips over these lines at first. Knowing the usual trouble spots saves you time.

Mixing Up Oír And Escuchar

Many beginners think they must always say one verb or the other. In real speech, both verbs appear in hearing lines, and in many regions they overlap a lot. It still helps to remember that oír leans toward the physical sound, while escuchar leans toward the act of paying attention.

Forgetting To Adjust For Formality

Another common slip is using tú forms with someone who expects usted. On the phone with a bank, a doctor, or an office, default to usted forms: “No la escucho bien” or “Perdone, no lo oigo.” With friends and classmates, relax and stick with tú forms.

Overusing English Word Order

English learners sometimes try to keep English order and add Spanish words on top. Phrases like “Yo no puedo oír tú” sound strange to native speakers. Copy ready made chunks instead: “No te oigo,” “No te escucho bien,” or “Apenas te escucho.” These small blocks already have the right order built in.

Mini Practice Scripts With Hearing Problems In Spanish

Short scripts help you move from theory to speech. Try reading these out loud a few times, then cover the English and see how much you can say on your own.

Phone Call With A Friend

Laura: Hola, ¿cómo estás?
Tú: Bien, pero no te oigo bien. ¿Puedes hablar más alto?
Laura: Ah, claro, ahora mejor.
Tú: Sí, gracias, ahora te escucho perfecto.

Video Meeting With A Client

Cliente: Buenos días, ¿me escucha?
Tú: Buenos días, perdone, no la escucho bien. Creo que el micrófono está lejos.
Cliente: Un momento, voy a acercarlo.
Tú: Gracias, ahora sí, ya la oigo.

Pick one script and adapt it with your own name, device, or daily setting. The more you repeat these short scenes, the faster Spanish hearing phrases will come to you when the line goes quiet in real life.