French · Real conversations
Clarify a meaning naturally in French
Clarification works best when you identify the unclear part. Ask about a word, check a possible interpretation, or request an example that makes the meaning concrete.
Three ways to say it
Que veut dire ce mot ?
What does this word mean?
Ask about one unfamiliar word.
Tu veux dire qu'on devrait partir maintenant ?
Do you mean that we should leave now?
Check whether you have understood the person's intended message.
Tu pourrais expliquer ça avec un exemple ?
Could you explain that with an example?
Ask for a concrete example when a definition is not enough.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'Do you mean ...?' asks about intended meaning, not an average or an unkind person. Keep the target-language construction for intention or meaning instead of translating the isolated word 'mean'.
See the difference in context
An unfamiliar word in a sentence
Il y a un nouveau mot dans cette phrase.
There's a new word in this sentence.
Que veut dire ce mot ?
What does this word mean?
Checking whether it is time to leave
On n'a pas beaucoup de temps.
We don't have much time.
Tu veux dire qu'on devrait partir maintenant ?
Do you mean that we should leave now?
Your turn
You understand the words but not how the idea works. Ask for an explanation with an example.
Reveal a sample reply
Tu pourrais expliquer ça avec un exemple ?
Could you explain that with an example?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
