Hindi · Real conversations
Clarify a meaning naturally in Hindi
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
इस शब्द का क्या मतलब है?is shabd ka kya matlab hai?
What does this word mean?
Ask about one unfamiliar word.
क्या आपका मतलब है कि हमें अब चलना चाहिए?kya aapka matlab hai ki hamein ab chalna chaahiye?
Do you mean that we should leave now?
Check whether you have understood the person's intended message.
क्या आप इसे एक उदाहरण देकर समझा सकते हैं?kya aap ise ek udaaharan dekar samjha sakte hain?
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
इस वाक्य में एक नया शब्द है।is vaakya mein ek naya shabd hai.
There's a new word in this sentence.
इस शब्द का क्या मतलब है?is shabd ka kya matlab hai?
What does this word mean?
Checking whether it is time to leave
हमारे पास ज़्यादा समय नहीं है।hamaare paas zyaada samay nahin hai.
We don't have much time.
क्या आपका मतलब है कि हमें अब चलना चाहिए?kya aapka matlab hai ki hamein ab chalna chaahiye?
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
क्या आप इसे एक उदाहरण देकर समझा सकते हैं?kya aap ise ek udaaharan dekar samjha sakte hain?
Could you explain that with an example?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking Hindi
These examples generally use respectful आप (aap). Familiar तुम (tum) changes the verb ending, and तू (tu) can sound too intimate or disrespectful in the wrong relationship. Where gender changes a first-person form, choose the version that describes the speaker.
Read the Devanagari alongside the romanization. Romanization is a reading aid rather than an exact description of every sound. Everyday Hindi can use familiar loanwords, while a literal English word order may sound unnatural.
