Что ты сказал?
Chto ty skazal?
In Russian, 'what did you say?' can be translated as Что ты сказал? (Chto ty skazal?)
This phrase is used to ask someone to repeat something they just said.
Which one should you use?
While Что ты сказал? is a complete sentence, you might hear the much shorter Что? However, simply saying Что? is more abrupt and can be perceived as potentially rude.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a female friend, you should use the feminine form Что ты сказала? instead of the masculine Что ты сказал? When addressing a stranger, an elder or a group of people, use the formal/plural form Что вы сказали? Additionally, Что вы говорили? is a formal alternative used when you missed part of a conversation, translating more closely to 'What were you saying?'
How do you pronounce it?
Chto ty skazal?
Did you know?
- In tense arguments, repeating Что ты сказал? with a specific descending intonation can act as a challenge or a threat rather than a request for information.
- If you use the formal Что вы сказали? with a close friend, it is often interpreted as sarcasm or a sign that you are suddenly angry with them.
- In very casual youth slang, the phrase is often shortened to a single drawn-out syllable Че?, which is a phonetic mutation of Что.
Examples in context
- Извините, что вы сказали?Excuse me, what did you say?
- Извините, что вы говорили?Excuse me, what were you saying?
- Что ты сказал?What did you say?
- Прости, что ты сказал?Prosti, chto ty skazal?Sorry, what did you say?
Example conversation
Sergey and Olga are talking in a noisy room.
- Сергей SergeyМы пойдём в кино сегодня.My poydyom v kino segodnya.We are going to the cinema today.
- Ольга OlgaЧто ты сказал?Chto ty skazal?What did you say?
- Сергей SergeyЯ сказал, что мы идём в кино.Ya skazal, chto my idyom v kino.I said that we are going to the cinema.
- Ольга OlgaА, понятно! Я согласна.A, ponyatno! Ya soglasna.Ah, I see! I agree.
