Pardon?
PAR-dn /ˈpɑːdn/
Neutral Polite
What it really means
The polite way to say "I did not hear you, please repeat". Softer than "What?", which can sound rude in Britain. "Sorry?" works the same way.
Chinese explanation
礼貌地表示没听清、请再说一遍。比 What? 客气——在英国单说 What 会显得粗鲁。说 Sorry? 也有同样效果。
Example conversation
A: The seminar's moved to room B12.
B: Pardon? It's noisy in here.
A: Room B12, at two o'clock.
A：研讨课改到B12教室了。
B：您说什么？这里太吵了。
A：B12教室，下午两点。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
All Politeness Decoder
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· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake