πŸ€”

Polite Clarification: 'What do you mean?'

Keywords
무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”?
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Speaking
πŸ¦„
TL;DR πŸ¦„
  • ❓ 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?] β€” "What does that mean?"
  • πŸ’¬ 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? [geu-ge mu-seun ma-ri-e-yo?] β€” "What do you mean by that?"
  • πŸ“– 이 λ‹¨μ–΄λŠ” 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [i da-neo-neun mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?] β€” "What does this word mean?"
  • πŸ” λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” [da-si seol-myeong-hae ju-se-yo] β€” "Please explain again"
  • βœ… μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” [a, i-hae-hae-sseo-yo] β€” "Oh, I understood"
πŸ”Š
🎧 Iru Helper Note: Hear every phrase in this lesson spoken aloud and practice your pronunciation with the Iru Helper Widgets.
Β 

🌈 The Big Picture

무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?], literally "what meaning is it?", is your go-to phrase when you hear a word or expression you don't know. 뜻 means "meaning," so this phrase works for words, phrases, or even slang.
  • "λ™μ•ˆ" 이 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? β€” "What does 'λ™μ•ˆ' mean?"
  • 이 ν‘œν˜„μ€ 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? β€” "What does this expression mean?"
You can point at or repeat the specific word/phrase before asking, which makes it crystal clear what you're confused about β€” much more helpful than just saying "I don't understand."

🎭 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? vs. 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”?: Word Meaning vs. Overall Meaning

무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? asks about the meaning of a specific word or expression. 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? [geu-ge mu-seun ma-ri-e-yo?] asks what someone meant by something they just said β€” more about intent or implication than vocabulary.
  • "였늘 μ’€ κ·Έλž˜μš”" κ°€ 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? β€” "What does '였늘 μ’€ κ·Έλž˜μš”' mean?" (asking about the phrase itself)
  • 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? 더 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” β€” "What do you mean by that? Please explain more." (asking what they're getting at)
Both are polite and commonly used β€” choose based on whether you're confused by a word or by what someone is implying.

🧳 Essential Phrase Kit

  • 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?] β€” "What does that mean?"
  • 이 λ‹¨μ–΄λŠ” 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [i da-neo-neun mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?] β€” "What does this word mean?"
  • 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? [geu-ge mu-seun ma-ri-e-yo?] β€” "What do you mean by that?"
  • λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” [da-si seol-myeong-hae ju-se-yo] β€” "Please explain again"
  • 쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” [jo-geum deo swip-ge seol-myeong-hae ju-se-yo] β€” "Please explain a bit more simply"
  • μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” [a, i-hae-hae-sseo-yo] β€” "Oh, I understood"
  • 아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš” [a-jik jal mo-reu-ge-sseo-yo] β€” "I still don't quite understand"
  • ν˜Ήμ‹œ λ‹€λ₯Έ 말둜 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ‹€ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”? [hok-si da-reun mal-lo seol-myeong-hae ju-sil su i-sseo-yo?] β€” "Could you maybe explain it in different words?"
  • 이 ν‘œν˜„μ€ 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄μš” [i pyo-hyeo-neun cheo-eum deu-reo-bwa-yo] β€” "I've never heard this expression before"
  • 그게 μ–΄λ–€ μ˜λ―Έμ˜ˆμš”? [geu-ge eo-tteon ui-mi-ye-yo?] β€” "What kind of meaning does that have?"

πŸ› οΈ Putting Together

A: "κΏ€μžΌ"이 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”?
B: μ•„, "κΏ€μžΌ"은 "정말 μž¬λ―Έμžˆλ‹€"λŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. μ‹ μ‘°μ–΄μ˜ˆμš”.
A: "What does 'κΏ€μžΌ' mean?" B: "Ah, 'κΏ€μžΌ' means 'really fun.' It's a new slang word."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: Repeating the exact word in quotes before 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? makes it instantly clear which word you're asking about.
A: 였늘 μ’€ κ·Έλž˜μš”... 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”?
B: 음... 사싀 였늘 기뢄이 λ³„λ‘œ μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„μš”.
A: "Today is a bit... what do you mean by that?" B: "Um... actually, I'm not in a great mood today."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? gently invites someone to clarify a vague or indirect comment.
A: 쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. 아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”.
B: λ„€, λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν• κ²Œμš”. 천천히 λ“€μ–΄λ³΄μ„Έμš”.
A: "Please explain a bit more simply. I still don't quite understand." B: "Okay, I'll explain again. Listen slowly."
πŸ¦„ Grammar note: Pairing 쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” with 아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš” shows you tried to follow, but need a simpler version β€” much better than just saying λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš” alone.

πŸ—£οΈ Speaking Practice: Mini Dialogue

지은: 민수 씨, 이거 μ™„μ „ "TMI"μ˜ˆμš”.
[min-su ssi, i-geo wan-jeon "TMI"-ye-yo]
"Minsu, this is totally 'TMI'."
민수: TMIμš”? 그게 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”?
[TMI-yo? geu-ge mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?]
"TMI? What does that mean?"
지은: "Too Much Information"μ΄λΌλŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. λ„ˆλ¬΄ λ§Žμ€ 정보λ₯Ό 말할 λ•Œ μ¨μš”.
[β€œToo Much Information”-i-ra-neun tteu-si-e-yo. neo-mu ma-neun jeong-bo-reul mal-hal ttae sseo-yo]
"It means 'Too Much Information.' It's used when someone shares too much information."
민수: μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄€μ–΄μš”.
[a, i-hae-hae-sseo-yo! cheo-eum deu-reo-bwa-sseo-yo]
"Oh, I understood! I've never heard it before."
지은: μš”μ¦˜ 많이 μ¨μš”. λ‹€λ₯Έ 단어도 μ•Œκ³  μ‹Άμ–΄μš”?
[yo-jeum ma-ni sseo-yo. da-reun da-neo-do al-go si-peo-yo?]
"It's used a lot these days. Do you want to know other words too?"
민수: λ„€! ν˜Ήμ‹œ λ‹€λ₯Έ 말둜 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ‹€ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
[ne! hok-si da-reun mal-lo seol-myeong-hae ju-sil su i-sseo-yo?]
"Yes! Could you maybe explain it in different words too?"

🧭 Speaking Tip

When you hear an unfamiliar word, repeat it back (in quotes or just by saying it) before asking 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? β€” this tells the speaker exactly what to explain. If the explanation is still too fast or complex, it's completely fine to ask 쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” ("please explain more simply") β€” most people are happy to slow down and rephrase. Adding ν˜Ήμ‹œ ("by any chance") before a request softens it and makes it feel less like a demand.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ Confusing 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? (asking for meaning) with λ­λΌκ³ μš”? (asking someone to repeat what they said) β€” they solve different problems.
  • ❌ Asking "λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”" with no context β€” specify what you don't understand (a word, an expression, or the overall point) so the other person knows how to help.
  • ❌ Mixing up μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” (I understood the meaning) with μ•Œκ² μ–΄μš” (okay, got it / I'll do it) β€” they're not interchangeable.
  • ❌ Forgetting to repeat or point to the specific word/phrase before asking β€” without it, the other person may not know what you're confused about.
You're now equipped to ask for clarification politely and clearly β€” μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! ✨
Β 
Try this exercise
Instructions: For each prompt, write your response in Korean using the patterns from this lesson. Then check the toggle below for a sample answer.
1. Say "What does that mean?"
Answer
무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? (What does that mean?)
2. Say "What does this word mean?"
Answer
이 λ‹¨μ–΄λŠ” 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? (What does this word mean?)
3. Say "What do you mean by that?"
Answer
그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? (What do you mean by that?)
4. Say "Please explain again."
Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. (Please explain again.)
5. Say "Please explain a bit more simply."
Answer
쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. (Please explain a bit more simply.)
6. Say "Oh, I understood."
Answer
μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”. (Oh, I understood.)
7. Say "I still don't quite understand."
Answer
아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”. (I still don't quite understand.)
8. Say "Could you maybe explain it in different words?"
Answer
ν˜Ήμ‹œ λ‹€λ₯Έ 말둜 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ‹€ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”? (Could you maybe explain it in different words?)
9. Say "I've never heard this expression before."
Answer
이 ν‘œν˜„μ€ 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄μš”. (I've never heard this expression before.)
10. Say "What kind of meaning does that have?"
Answer
그게 μ–΄λ–€ μ˜λ―Έμ˜ˆμš”? (What kind of meaning does that have?)
πŸ“š
Vocabulary Box
  • 뜻 β€” meaning
  • 의미 β€” meaning/significance
  • 단어 β€” word
  • ν‘œν˜„ β€” expression
  • μ„€λͺ…ν•˜λ‹€ β€” to explain
  • μ΄ν•΄ν•˜λ‹€ β€” to understand
  • μ‹ μ‘°μ–΄ β€” new/coined slang word
  • 처음 β€” first/for the first time
  • ν˜Ήμ‹œ β€” by any chance
  • μ‰½κ²Œ β€” easily/simply
Pitfalls πŸ’‘
  • 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? (meaning) vs λ­λΌκ³ μš”? (repeat).
  • Specify what you don't understand.
  • μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” β‰  μ•Œκ² μ–΄μš”.
πŸš€
Want more reps? Head to the Practice Hub below for three full exercise sets!
Β 
πŸ“¦
🎯 Practice Hub β€” Polite Clarification: 'What do you mean?'
Work through these three exercises to practice asking for and giving clarification. Try answering out loud before checking each answer β€” and use the Iru Helper Widgets above if you want to hear the pronunciation again.

Exercise 1 β€” Asking About Words πŸ“–

A. Say "What does that mean?"
Answer
무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?]
B. Say "What does this word mean?"
Answer
이 λ‹¨μ–΄λŠ” 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [i da-neo-neun mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?]
C. Say "I've never heard this expression before."
Answer
이 ν‘œν˜„μ€ 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄μš”. [i pyo-hyeo-neun cheo-eum deu-reo-bwa-yo]
D. Say "What does 'κΏ€μžΌ' mean?"
Answer
"κΏ€μžΌ"이 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [β€œkkul-jaem”-i mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?]
E. Say "Ah, 'κΏ€μžΌ' means 'really fun.' It's a new slang word."
Answer
μ•„, "κΏ€μžΌ"은 "정말 μž¬λ―Έμžˆλ‹€"λŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. μ‹ μ‘°μ–΄μ˜ˆμš”. [a, β€œkkul-jaem”-eun β€œjeong-mal jae-mi-it-da”-neun tteu-si-e-yo. sin-jo-eo-ye-yo]
F. Say "What kind of meaning does that have?"
Answer
그게 μ–΄λ–€ μ˜λ―Έμ˜ˆμš”? [geu-ge eo-tteon ui-mi-ye-yo?]
G. Say "TMI? What does that mean?"
Answer
TMIμš”? 그게 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? [TMI-yo? geu-ge mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo?]
H. Say "It means 'Too Much Information.'"
Answer
"Too Much Information"μ΄λΌλŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. ["Too Much Information"-i-ra-neun tteu-si-e-yo]
I. Say "It's used a lot these days."
Answer
μš”μ¦˜ 많이 μ¨μš”. [yo-jeum ma-ni sseo-yo]
J. Say "Do you want to know other words too?"
Answer
λ‹€λ₯Έ 단어도 μ•Œκ³  μ‹Άμ–΄μš”? [da-reun da-neo-do al-go si-peo-yo?]
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • 뜻 β€” meaning
  • 단어 β€” word
  • ν‘œν˜„ β€” expression
  • μ‹ μ‘°μ–΄ β€” slang/new word
  • ~μ΄λΌλŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš” β€” it means ~

Exercise 2 β€” Asking for Better Explanations πŸ”

A. Say "Please explain again."
Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”.
B. Say "Please explain a bit more simply."
Answer
쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”.
C. Say "I still don't quite understand."
Answer
아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”.
D. Say "Could you maybe explain it in different words?"
Answer
ν˜Ήμ‹œ λ‹€λ₯Έ 말둜 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ‹€ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
E. Say "Oh, I understood."
Answer
μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
F. Say "Please explain a bit more simply. I still don't quite understand."
Answer
쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. 아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”.
G. Say "Okay, I'll explain again. Listen slowly."
Answer
λ„€, λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν• κ²Œμš”. 천천히 λ“€μ–΄λ³΄μ„Έμš”.
H. Say "Today is a bit... what do you mean by that?"
Answer
였늘 μ’€ κ·Έλž˜μš”... 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”?
I. Say "Um... actually, I'm not in a great mood today."
Answer
음... 사싀 였늘 기뢄이 λ³„λ‘œ μ•ˆ μ’‹μ•„μš”.
J. Say "Oh, I understood! I've never heard it before."
Answer
μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄€μ–΄μš”.
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” β€” explain again
  • μ‰½κ²Œ β€” simply
  • ν˜Ήμ‹œ β€” by any chance
  • μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” β€” I understood
  • 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? β€” what do you mean?

Exercise 3 β€” Full Conversations πŸ’¬

A. "κΏ€μžΌ"이 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”?" β€” What does this ask?
Answer
"What does 'κΏ€μžΌ' mean?"
B. Respond explaining "Ah, 'κΏ€μžΌ' means 'really fun.' It's a new slang word."
Answer
μ•„, "κΏ€μžΌ"은 "정말 μž¬λ―Έμžˆλ‹€"λŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. μ‹ μ‘°μ–΄μ˜ˆμš”.
C. Say "Minsu, this is totally 'TMI'."
Answer
민수 씨, 이거 μ™„μ „ "TMI"μ˜ˆμš”.
D. Say "TMI? What does that mean?"
Answer
TMIμš”? 그게 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”?
E. Say "It means 'Too Much Information.' It's used when someone shares too much information."
Answer
"Too Much Information"μ΄λΌλŠ” λœ»μ΄μ—μš”. λ„ˆλ¬΄ λ§Žμ€ 정보λ₯Ό 말할 λ•Œ μ¨μš”.
F. Say "Oh, I understood! I've never heard it before."
Answer
μ•„, μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄€μ–΄μš”.
G. Say "It's used a lot these days. Do you want to know other words too?"
Answer
μš”μ¦˜ 많이 μ¨μš”. λ‹€λ₯Έ 단어도 μ•Œκ³  μ‹Άμ–΄μš”?
H. Say "Yes! Could you maybe explain it in different words too?"
Answer
λ„€! ν˜Ήμ‹œ λ‹€λ₯Έ 말둜 μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ‹€ 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”?
I. Say "Please explain a bit more simply. I still don't quite understand."
Answer
쑰금 더 μ‰½κ²Œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. 아직 잘 λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ–΄μš”.
J. Say "Okay, I'll explain again. Listen slowly."
Answer
λ„€, λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν• κ²Œμš”. 천천히 λ“€μ–΄λ³΄μ„Έμš”.
πŸ“š
Cheat Sheet
  • 무슨 λœ»μ΄μ—μš”? β€” what does it mean?
  • 그게 무슨 λ§μ΄μ—μš”? β€” what do you mean?
  • λ‹€μ‹œ μ„€λͺ…ν•΄ μ£Όμ„Έμš” β€” explain again
  • μ΄ν•΄ν–ˆμ–΄μš” β€” I understood
  • 처음 λ“€μ–΄λ΄μš” β€” never heard before
πŸŽ‰ μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! You can now ask for clarification confidently and politely!