내 말은
nae mareun
The English phrase "I meant" is expressed in Korean as 내 말은 (nae mareun).
내 말은 is used as a conversational filler to restart a sentence when you realize your previous explanation was unclear or incorrect. It serves to clarify or correct a previous statement to avoid misunderstanding. You can also use 그러니까 내 말은 to make your clarification feel more emphatic or insistent, which translates to "So, what I mean is".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 내 말은 literally means "my words are" or "as for my words". It is composed of 내 (my), 말 (word/speech) and the topic marker 은 (as for/is).
Which one should you use?
While 내 말은 is a common way to say "I meant", you might use 말하려던 게 to specifically say "What I was trying to say was…", or 의도했던 건 to say "What I intended was…".
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the phrase in a polite or formal setting, you should replace the informal 내 with the humble 제, resulting in 제 말은.
How do you pronounce it?
nae mareun
Did you know?
- The word 말 used in 내 말은 does not just mean 'word' or 'speech' but is also the Korean word for 'horse'.
- The word 내 was once the general Korean word for 'smoke' before it was replaced by the Sino-Korean term 연기.
- In formal debates or presentations, using the emphatic version 그러니까 내 말은 can sometimes be perceived as being overly pushy or argumentative if the tone is not carefully controlled.
Examples in context
- 저는 아무런 의도가 없었어요. 제가 의미한 건 다른 것이었어요.I had no intentions. What I meant was something else.
- 내 말은 좀 더 빨리 오라는 뜻이었어.nae mareun jom deo ppalli oraneun tteusieosseo.I meant for you to come a little sooner.
- 내 말은 우리가 다시 만날 수 있다는 거야.nae mareun uriga dasi mannal su itdaneun geoya.I meant that we can meet again.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is clarifying his previous comment to Seoyeon in a cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo화난 거 아니야. 내 말은 네가 걱정된다는 뜻이야.hwannun geo aniya. nae mareun nega geokjeongdoendaneun tteusiya.I am not angry. I meant that I am worried about you.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그렇게 들려서 오해했어.geureoke deullyeoseo ohaehaesseo.I misunderstood because that's how it sounded.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo미안해, 내 표현이 서툴렀나 봐.mianhae, nae pyohyeoni seotulleonna bwa.I'm sorry, I guess my expression was clumsy.
- 서연 Seo-yeon괜찮아, 이제 이해했어.gwaenchanha, ije ihaehaesseo.It's okay, I understand now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
