German · Real conversations
How to say “Do you mean ...?” in German
Check your interpretation before answering or acting.
Meinen Sie …?
Do you mean …?
Complete the question with the meaning you think the person intended.
Use it in three situations
Confirming a day
Meinen Sie Freitag?
Do you mean Friday?
Checking a direction
Meinen Sie den Bahnhof am Fluss?
Do you mean the station near the river?
Understanding a suggestion
Meinen Sie, dass wir zusammen gehen sollten?
Do you mean we should go together?
What to watch for
This is a checking question, so leave room for the person to correct you.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine repairing a conversation. Say this in German: Do you mean the station near the river?
Reveal a sample reply
Meinen Sie den Bahnhof am Fluss?
Do you mean the station near the river?
Build a useful exchange
Check a meaning and leave with something you can use.
This expression 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.
