You heard the words, but the message is unclear. Ask the speaker to explain their intention, request an example, or offer your own interpretation for confirmation.
The idea
Use Ne demek istiyorsun? with someone you address as sen, and Ne demek istiyorsunuz? with siz. Here demek istemek expresses intended meaning; demek stays unchanged while istemek carries the person ending. Bununla adds “by that”. For an unfamiliar word, ask Bu kelime ne demek? To check an interpretation, use Yani followed by your understanding and doğru mu? (“is that right?”).
Examples
- Bununla tam olarak ne demek istiyorsun?What exactly do you mean by that?
- Siz burada ne demek istiyorsunuz?What do you mean here?
- Bu kısmı tekrar açıklayabilir misiniz?Could you explain this part again?
- Bu kelime ne demek?What does this word mean?
- Yani bugün gelmiyorsun, doğru mu?So you are not coming today, is that right?
- Tam anlamadım, bir örnek verebilir misiniz?I did not quite understand; could you give an example?
- Hayır, bugün biraz geç geleceğim.No, I will come a little late today.
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Watch out
A sharp Ne demek istiyorsun? can sound like a challenge. The siz form alone does not guarantee a gentle tone. For a softer request, say Tam anlamadım, bir örnek verebilir misiniz? (“I did not quite understand; could you give an example?”).
Try it yourself
Ne demek ___? (sen) — Ask one friend what they mean. Complete the question with the form for “you”.
Show answer or example answer
istiyorsun
istiyorsun: the prompt addresses one friend as sen, so the sentence asks about that friend’s intended meaning. İstiyorum would ask about your own intention.
Bir örnek ___? (siz) — Complete the polite request “Could you give an example?” using vermek.
Show answer or example answer
verebilir misiniz / verir misiniz
verebilir misiniz: the speaker asks the other person to provide an example politely. The question word misiniz is written separately from verebilir. Verir misiniz is also a polite request for the same example.
___ bugün gelmiyorsun, doğru mu? — Add the word meaning “so / in other words” to check your interpretation.
Show answer or example answer
Yani
Yani: the rest of the sentence offers an interpretation, and doğru mu? invites confirmation. It is not yet a statement that both speakers agree on.
Bu kelime ne ___? — Ask the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Complete the question.
Show answer or example answer
demek
demek: the subject is an unfamiliar word. You want its meaning, so Bu kelime ne demek? fits; the word itself has no intention to explain.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Ne demek ___? (sen) — Ask one friend what they mean. Complete the question with the form for “you”.
Bir örnek ___? (siz) — Complete the polite request “Could you give an example?” using vermek.
verebilir misiniz / verir misiniz
___ bugün gelmiyorsun, doğru mu? — Add the word meaning “so / in other words” to check your interpretation.
Bu kelime ne ___? — Ask the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Complete the question.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Write a short exchange about a changed plan: ask what your friend means, check your interpretation with yani, and let the friend confirm or correct it. Then rewrite your question for someone you address politely.