Me refería a
/me ɾefeɾia a/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I meant" is expressed as Me refería a.
The phrase Me refería a is used to clarify or correct a previous statement by explaining the intended meaning.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "I was referring to", which utilizes the reflexive verb referirse.
Which one should you use?
Me refería a focuses on the subject of the reference. In contrast, Quise decir is used specifically to correct a slip of the tongue or a specific word choice.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperfect indicative tense to express a continuous state of intention in the past.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɾefeɾia a/
Did you know?
- The tiny preposition a in this phrase has a history spanning thousands of years. It is a direct descendant of the Latin 'ad', which functioned as a marker of direction long before Spanish even existed.
- The verb referirse in this phrase is reflexive, which means the speaker is grammatically 'referring themselves' to a topic.
- Using Me refería a can sound much more polite and gentle than other past tense corrections. Because it uses the imperfect tense, it describes a continuous state of intention rather than a sudden, blunt correction.
Examples in context
- ¿Creías que me refería a asuntos nacionales?Do you think I meant country matters?This sentence is useful for asking if someone misunderstood the subject of your statement using Me refería a.Tatoeba #1423188 by peibolvig, translation #1172130 by Scott
- Sabes que no me refería a eso.You know that wasn't what I meant.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific thing was not what you intended using Me refería a.Tatoeba #10784530 by megamanenm, translation #10784524 by megamanenm
- Elegí las palabras incorrectas en mi presentación anterior. Quise decir que…I chose the wrong words in my previous presentation. I meant to say that…
- No me expliqué adecuadamente. Me refería a que…I didn't explain myself properly. I meant to say that…
- Me disculpo por el malentendido. En realidad, quería decir…I apologize for the misunderstanding. Actually, I meant to say…
- No sé si me expliqué bien antes. Quería decir que…I'm not sure if I explained myself well earlier. I meant to say that…
- Me equivoqué al decir eso. Es que…I made a mistake by saying that. The thing is…
- Perdona si te confundí. O sea, lo que quise decir fue…Sorry if I confused you. I mean, what I meant to say was…
- Me refería a la película, no al libro.I meant the movie, not the book.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- Elena¿Quieres ir al cine mañana?Do you want to go to the cinema tomorrow?
- JavierPensé que habías dicho el sábado.I thought you said Saturday.
- ElenaNo, me refería al viernes por la tarde.No, I meant Friday afternoon.
- JavierAh, vale, me parece bien.Ah, okay, that sounds good to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
