그게 무슨 뜻이에요?
geuge museun tteus-ieyo?
In Korean, "what do you mean by that?" is expressed as 그게 무슨 뜻이에요? (geuge museun tteus-ieyo?)
This phrase is used to ask for clarification on a specific word, concept or statement that was just made.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 그게 무슨 뜻이에요? is composed of 그게 (that), 무슨 (what/what kind of) and 뜻이에요? (is the meaning?).
Which one should you use?
You can use 무슨 뜻이신가요? or 그게 무슨 의미인가요? to seek clarification politely. To ask specifically about someone's words in a very respectful way, use 무슨 말씀이세요?
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the level of formality, you can switch the ending. Use the informal 그게 무슨 뜻이야? with friends and the formal 그게 무슨 뜻입니까? for professional environments.
How do you pronounce it?
geuge museun tteus-ieyo?
Did you know?
- The word 무슨 was originally written as 므슴 in Middle Korean. It likely became 무슨 through a linguistic process called hypercorrection, where speakers unintentionally changed a word to make it sound more 'correct' based on surrounding patterns.
- The phrase 그게 무슨 뜻이에요? can be used to express disbelief or shock, functioning similarly to the English 'What on earth do you mean by that?'
- When using 무슨 말씀이세요?, the word 말씀 is an honorific term that elevates the listener's speech above the speaker's own.
Examples in context
- 죄송합니다, 그 문장의 뜻이 무엇인가요?I'm sorry, what is the meaning of that sentence?
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are discussing a project together.
- 민지 Min-ji이 부분이 조금 이상해요.i bubuni jogeum isanghaeyo.This part is a bit strange.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그게 무슨 뜻이에요?geuge museun ttuseieyo?What do you mean by that?
- 민지 Min-ji내용이 앞뒤가 안 맞아요.naeyongi apdwiga an majayo.The content is inconsistent.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아, 알겠어요. 다시 고칠게요.a, algesseoyo. dasi gochilgeyo.Ah, I see. I will fix it again.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 그게, 무슨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
