What does it mean word for word?
The phrase que veux-tu dire ? literally translates to "what want you to say?"
Which one should you use?
While que veux-tu dire ? uses an inverted structure, the phrase qu'est-ce que tu veux dire ? is a very common, standard way to ask the same question without using that formal inversion. In casual spoken French, the word order often shifts to tu veux dire quoi ? For a more direct, colloquial approach, you can also use tu veux dire quoi? or the informal c'est quoi l'idée?, which literally means "what's the idea?" but is used to ask for clarification.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form que voulez-vous dire? is used when addressing a group of people or a single person in a formal manner. In casual speech, the standard inversion is often replaced by the structure tu veux dire quoi?
Did you know?
- The French verb dire comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *déyḱeti, which meant 'to show' or 'to point out'.
- In French, asking que veux-tu dire ? sounds more like a request for your intent, whereas in English, 'what do you mean?' can sometimes sound more confrontational.
- The word quoi is a 'tonic' form of que, meaning it is used when the word needs more emphasis or stands alone at the end of a sentence.
Examples in context
- Je ne comprends pas, que veux-tu dire ?I don't understand, what do you mean?
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing a confusing text message.
- NathanTu as dit que c'est fini ?You said it is over?
- ManonOui, notre projet est fini.Yes, our project is over.
- NathanQue veux-tu dire ?What do you mean?
- ManonJe veux dire qu'on a terminé le travail.I mean that we have finished the work.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dire, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
