Phrase guide

how do you mean

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

A request for clarification of what the listener just said.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: what do you mean

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 你這是什麼意思? /你这是什么意思? (nǐ zhè shì shénme yìsi) — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Dutch: hoe bedoel je? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Dutch: hoe bedoelt u? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Dutch: hoezo? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Finnish: mitä tarkoitat — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Finnish: miten muka — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • French: comment ça — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • German: wie meinst du das? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • German: wie meinen Sie das? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Hungarian: hogy érti? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Hungarian: hogy érted? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Polish: co masz na myśli? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Portuguese: o que você quer dizer? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said
  • Portuguese: como assim? — a request for clarification of what the listener just said