German · Real conversations
Clarify a meaning naturally in German
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
Was bedeutet dieses Wort?
What does this word mean?
Ask about one unfamiliar word.
Meinst du, dass wir jetzt gehen sollten?
Do you mean that we should leave now?
Check whether you have understood the person's intended message.
Könntest du das an einem Beispiel erklären?
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
In diesem Satz steht ein neues Wort.
There's a new word in this sentence.
Was bedeutet dieses Wort?
What does this word mean?
Checking whether it is time to leave
Wir haben nicht viel Zeit.
We don't have much time.
Meinst du, dass wir jetzt gehen sollten?
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
Könntest du das an einem Beispiel erklären?
Could you explain that with an example?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
