was meinst du
The English abbreviation "wdym" (what do you mean) can be expressed in German as was meinst du.
An abbreviation for 'what do you mean', used to ask for clarification of a statement.
Which one should you use?
The phrase was meinst du uses the informal du, while the formal version uses Sie. Other variations include Was meinst du damit? (What do you mean?) or Wie meinst du das? (How do you mean that?) in informal settings, and Was meinen Sie damit? or Wie ist das gemeint? in formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally, you must use the form was meinen Sie instead of was meinst du.
Did you know?
- In German, the expression was meinst du can be used as a shorthand for 'what do you think' when asking for someone's opinion on a decision.
- The word du is a close relative of the archaic English pronoun 'thou'. They both evolved from the Proto-Germanic word *þū to serve as the informal singular way to address others.
- If you want to sound extra polite or avoid sounding confrontational, you can use the passive form Wie ist das gemeint? Instead of asking 'what do you mean', this literally asks 'How is that meant?', shifting the focus away from the person and onto the statement.
Examples in context
- Was meinst du damit genau?What exactly do you mean by that?
- Was meinst du mit deiner Nachricht?What do you mean with your message?
Example conversation
Hannah and Julian are texting about a movie.
- HannahDer Film war okay, aber irgendwie seltsam.The movie was okay, but somehow strange.
- JulianWas meinst du?What do you mean?
- HannahDas Ende war einfach total verwirrend.The ending was just totally confusing.
- JulianJa, da stimme ich dir zu.Yes, I agree with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
