Seeking Someone’s Input
16.1.1. The Main Idea
To seek someone’s input, you can ask what they think, what they want to say, or what they mean.
Qu’est-ce que tu en penses ? | What do you think about it? |
Tu veux dire quelque chose ? | Do you want to say something? |
Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? | What do you mean? |
Tu peux expliquer ? | Can you explain? |
These expressions help you invite another person into the conversation instead of carrying the whole canoe yourself. 🛶
16.1.2. Asking What Someone Thinks
Qu’est-ce que tu en penses ? | What do you think about it? informal |
Qu’est-ce que vous en pensez ? | What do you think about it? formal or plural |
Tu penses quoi ? | What do you think? casual |
Vous pensez quoi ? | What do you think? formal or plural, conversational |
À ton avis ? | In your opinion? informal |
À votre avis ? | In your opinion? formal or plural |
16.1.3. Asking Someone to Speak
Tu veux dire quelque chose ? | Do you want to say something? |
Vous voulez dire quelque chose ? | Do you want to say something? formal or plural |
Tu veux ajouter quelque chose ? | Do you want to add something? |
Vous voulez ajouter quelque chose ? | Do you want to add something? formal or plural |
Tu as une idée ? | Do you have an idea? |
Vous avez une idée ? | Do you have an idea? formal or plural |
16.1.4. Asking What Someone Means
Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? | What do you mean? informal |
Qu’est-ce que vous voulez dire ? | What do you mean? formal or plural |
Tu veux dire quoi ? | What do you mean? casual |
Vous voulez dire quoi ? | What do you mean? formal or plural, conversational |
Tu veux dire que c’est important ? | Do you mean that it is important? |
Vous voulez dire que c’est nécessaire ? | Do you mean that it is necessary? formal or plural |
16.1.5. Asking for Clarification
Tu peux expliquer ? | Can you explain? informal |
Vous pouvez expliquer ? | Can you explain? formal or plural |
Tu peux préciser ? | Can you clarify / be more specific? informal |
Vous pouvez préciser ? | Can you clarify / be more specific? formal or plural |
Tu peux répéter ? | Can you repeat? informal |
Vous pouvez répéter ? | Can you repeat? formal or plural |
Je ne comprends pas très bien. | I do not understand very well. |
16.1.6. Giving Your Own Input
Je veux dire quelque chose. | I want to say something. |
Je voudrais dire quelque chose. | I would like to say something. |
J’aimerais ajouter une idée. | I would like to add an idea. |
À mon avis, c’est important. | In my opinion, it is important. |
Ce que je veux dire, c’est que… | What I mean is that… |
Je pense que… | I think that… |
16.1.7. Responding to Someone’s Input
Je comprends. | I understand. |
Je vois. | I see. |
C’est intéressant. | That is interesting. |
Je suis d’accord. | I agree. |
Je ne suis pas d’accord. | I disagree. |
Tu as raison. | You are right. informal |
Vous avez raison. | You are right. formal or plural |
Peut-être. | Maybe. |
16.1.8. Softening Your Response
Je comprends, mais… | I understand, but… |
Peut-être, mais… | Maybe, but… |
Je vois ce que tu veux dire. | I see what you mean. informal |
Je vois ce que vous voulez dire. | I see what you mean. formal or plural |
Je ne suis pas sûr. | I am not sure. masculine speaker |
Je ne suis pas sûre. | I am not sure. feminine speaker |
16.1.9. Core Patterns
Qu’est-ce que tu en penses ? | What do you think about it? |
À ton avis ? | In your opinion? |
Tu veux dire quelque chose ? | Do you want to say something? |
Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? | What do you mean? |
Tu peux expliquer ? | Can you explain? |
Je veux dire… | I mean… / I want to say… |
Ce que je veux dire, c’est que… | What I mean is that… |
16.1.10. Practice
What do you think about it? informal | |
In your opinion? formal | |
Do you want to say something? informal | |
What do you mean? informal | |
Can you clarify? formal | |
I would like to say something. | |
What I mean is that it is important. | |
I see what you mean. informal |
16.1.11. Answers
What do you think about it? informal | Qu’est-ce que tu en penses ? |
In your opinion? formal | À votre avis ? |
Do you want to say something? informal | Tu veux dire quelque chose ? |
What do you mean? informal | Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? |
Can you clarify? formal | Vous pouvez préciser ? |
I would like to say something. | Je voudrais dire quelque chose. |
What I mean is that it is important. | Ce que je veux dire, c’est que c’est important. |
I see what you mean. informal | Je vois ce que tu veux dire. |
16.1.12. Short Dialogue
A : Qu’est-ce que tu en penses ? | A: What do you think about it? |
B : Je pense que c’est intéressant, mais difficile. | B: I think it is interesting, but difficult. |
A : Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? | A: What do you mean? |
B : Ce que je veux dire, c’est que le sujet est important, mais complexe. | B: What I mean is that the topic is important, but complex. |
A : Je vois ce que tu veux dire. | A: I see what you mean. |
16.1.13. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to seek someone’s input, ask what someone thinks, invite someone to speak, ask what someone means, request clarification, and give your own input with expressions such as je veux dire and ce que je veux dire, c’est que….
16.1.14. Try It Out
Try saying this in French:
What do you mean?
I see what you mean.
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