was meinst du?
The English phrase "what do you mean?" is translated into German as was meinst du?
This phrase is used to ask someone to clarify or explain what they are trying to say. You can make your request more specific or intensive by adding words: Was meinst du damit? means "What do you mean by that?", while Was meinst du damit genau? means "What exactly do you mean by that?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from was (what), meinst (mean/think) and du (you).
Which one should you use?
You might use Wie bitte? to ask someone to repeat themselves or to seek further explanation. For a more detailed request, you can use Können Sie das genauer erklären?, which means "Can you explain that in more detail?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on who you are addressing. Use the formal Was meinen Sie? for one person in a formal setting. If you are addressing a group of people whom you know informally, such as friends, children or peers, use was meint ihr? to say "what do you (plural) mean?"
Did you know?
- In German, 'meinen' can also mean 'to have an opinion', so 'Was meinst du?' can sometimes be interpreted as 'What is your opinion?' rather than 'What are your words meaning?'
- To sound more professional in a business setting, you can replace 'was' with 'wie' to say 'Wie meinen Sie das?', which literally means 'How do you mean that?'
- The pronoun 'du' in this phrase is a direct descendant of the Old High German 'dū', which is closely related to the archaic English word 'thou'.
Examples in context
- Könnten Sie bitte genauer erklären, was Sie damit meinen?Could you please explain in more detail what you mean by that?
- Was meinst du damit, dass du nicht kommen kannst?What do you mean that you can't come?
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- JulianWir sollten vielleicht weniger Geld ausgeben.Maybe we should spend less money.
- JuliaWas meinst du?What do you mean?
- JulianIch meine, wir sollten nicht in das teure Restaurant gehen.I mean, we shouldn't go to the expensive restaurant.
- JuliaAch so, das verstehe ich.Oh, I see.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
