¿qué quieres decir?
In Spanish, the phrase "what are you trying to say?" is expressed as ¿qué quieres decir?
This phrase is used to ask someone to clarify their meaning or point. Depending on your tone, it can be used for a genuine request for clarification or to express suspicion and confrontation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿qué quieres decir? literally translates to "what do you want to say?", as Spanish often uses the verb for "want" rather than a specific word for "trying" in this context.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué quieres decir? is a common way to ask for clarification, you might also use ¿a qué te refieres? if you want to ask "what are you referring to?", which focuses more on the person's specific reference.
How does it change in a sentence?
To adapt this phrase to different subjects, change the verb quieres: use ¿qué quiere decir? when addressing someone formally and use ¿qué quieren decir? when asking a group of people what they are trying to say.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish speaking regions, a person might respond to ¿qué quieres decir? by saying me explico, which literally means 'I explain myself' but is used to ask 'do I make sense?'
- The verb decir is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *déyḱeti, which originally meant 'to show' or 'point out'.
- In Spanish, the word for 'dictionary', diccionario, shares the same linguistic root as the verb decir used in this phrase.
Examples in context
- No te entiendo, ¿qué quieres decir?I don't understand you, what are you trying to say?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decir, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
