What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'You are speaking what?' It consists of 你 (nǐ) meaning 'you', 在 (zài) acting as a progressive marker, 说 (shuō) meaning 'speak' and 什么 (shénme) meaning 'what'.
Which one should you use?
While 你在说什么？ is the standard way to ask, you may encounter other versions: 你在说啥？ is an informal version and 你在讲什么呢？ is a casual way to ask the same question.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 你在说什么？ is informal and can sound blunt or even confrontational depending on your tone. For a more polite approach, use 请问你说的是什么？ which translates to 'Excuse me, what are you talking about?' You can also increase respect by replacing 你 (nǐ) with the polite form 您 (nín) to say 您在说什么？, though it remains a direct inquiry.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ zài shuō shénme?
Did you know?
- The polite version 您在说什么？ uses the honorific 您 (nín), which is visually distinct because it adds a 'heart' radical 心 (xīn) at the bottom of the character for 'you'.
- While 你在说什么？ is common in speech, in written internet slang, people often use the English 'WTF' or its Chinese equivalent 什么鬼 (shénme guǐ), which literally means 'what ghost'.
- The word 说 (shuō) is used in the phrase 说话 (shuōhuà) to mean 'to speak', but it also appears in the term 说客 (shuōkè), which refers to a professional political lobbyist or persuader.
Examples in context
- 你在说什么？我刚才没有听明白。What are you talking about? I didn't understand just now.
- 请问你说的是什么？我没有理解你的意思。Excuse me, what are you talking about? I didn't understand your meaning.
- 你在说啥？我没听明白。What are you talking about? I didn't hear it clearly.
- 你在讲什么呢？我没听到你说的最后一句。What are you talking about? I didn't catch the last sentence you said.
- 你在说什么？我听不懂。Nǐ zài shuō shénme? Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.What are you talking about? I don't understand.
- 你在说什么？这也太奇怪了。Nǐ zài shuō shénme? Zhè yě tài qíguài le.What are you talking about? This is too strange.
- 你在说什么？请再说一遍。Nǐ zài shuō shénme? Qǐng zài shuō yībiàn.What are you talking about? Please say it again.
Example conversation
A friend makes a confusing suggestion during a casual chat.
- 浩然 Haoran我们明天去爬山吧。Wǒmen míngtiān qù páshān ba.Let's go hiking tomorrow.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你在说什么？明天会下大雨。Nǐ zài shuō shénme? Míngtiān huì xià dàyǔ.What are you talking about? It's going to rain heavily tomorrow.
- 浩然 Haoran真的吗？我没看天气预报。Zhēn de ma? Wǒ méi kàn tiānqì yùbào.Really? I didn't check the weather forecast.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是啊，浩然，你一定要看。Shì a, Hàorán, nǐ yīdìng yào kàn.Yes, Haoran, you definitely need to check.
