Ne demek istiyorsun?
Ne demek istiyorsun? is the Turkish way to say "what do you mean?"
This phrase is used to ask someone to explain their statement more clearly. Depending on your tone of voice, it can be used to genuinely seek clarification or to express suspicion or offense regarding someone's motives.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ne (what), demek (to say/to mean) and istiyorsun (you want).
Which one should you use?
While Ne demek istiyorsun? specifically targets the speaker's intention, the shorter phrase Ne demek? is a more common way to ask "what does it mean?" or "what is the meaning of this?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question polite or formal, use the second person plural form istiyorsunuz instead of istiyorsun.
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, saying Ne demek? can actually mean 'You are welcome' or 'It is nothing', functioning as a response to a thank you.
- The word ne is a linguistic traveler that connects Turkish to a wide family of languages including Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and even Uzbek through shared Proto-Turkic roots.
- If you use a sharp, rising tone while asking Ne demek istiyorsun?, you might accidentally challenge someone's character rather than asking for a definition.
Examples in context
- Tam olarak ne demek istiyorsun?What exactly do you mean?
- Bununla ne demek istiyorsun?What do you mean by this?
Example conversation
Emre and Merve are discussing a confusing text message.
- EmreBu mesajla ne demek istiyorsun?What do you mean by this message?
- MerveYarın gelmeyeceğimi söylüyorum.I am saying that I won't come tomorrow.
- EmreNe demek istiyorsun, planı mı iptal ettin?What do you mean, did you cancel the plan?
- MerveEvet, çok işim çıktı.Yes, something came up.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demek, ne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
