Asking for Clarification in Russian

When learning Russian, knowing how to ask for clarification is very important. It helps you talk to others and understand them better. A useful phrase to know is "что вы имеете в виду?" which means "what do you mean?" You can use this phrase when something is unclear in a conversation. In this lesson, we will explore how to ask for clarification using this phrase and how to form questions in Russian.

Breaking Down the Phrase

Let's look at what each word means:

1. "что" means "what"
2. "вы" means "you," used politely or when talking to more than one person
3. "имеете" is a polite way to say "have"
4. "в виду" means "in mind"

So, when you say "что вы имеете в виду?" you're asking someone to explain what they mean.

When to Use "что вы имеете в виду?"

You can use this phrase in different situations. Here are some examples:

• If someone says a word you don't understand.
• If something they said sounds confusing or doesn’t seem right.
• If you want to understand better what someone thinks or feels.

How to Form Questions in Russian

Besides this specific phrase, knowing how to ask questions in Russian is very helpful. Good questions can make conversations more interesting!

1. Raising Your Voice: You can change a statement into a yes or no question by raising your voice at the end. For example:

   • Statement: "Вы говорите по-русски." (You speak Russian.)
   • Question: "Вы говорите по-русски?" (Do you speak Russian?)

2. Common Question Words: Here are some helpful question words in Russian:

   • Где? (Where?)
   • Когда? (When?)
   • Почему? (Why?)
   • Кто? (Who?)
   • Как? (How?)
   • Что? (What?)

3. Mixing Question Words with Phrases:

   • If you want to ask why someone believes something, you can say:
     • "Почему вы так думаете?" (Why do you think that?)
   • To ask for details, you might say:
     • "Что вы имеете в виду с этим?" (What do you mean by this?)

Practicing Asking for Clarification

Here are a couple of example conversations to practice asking for clarification:

Example 1:

• A: "Это отличное решение!" (This is a great solution!)
• B: "Что вы имеете в виду?" (What do you mean?)

Example 2:

• A: "Меня это не устраивает." (I’m not okay with this.)
• B: "Почему?" (Why?)
• A: "Потому что это дорого." (Because it's expensive.)
• B: "Что вы имеете в виду?" (What do you mean?)

In conclusion, using "что вы имеете в виду?" is a great way to ask for clarification. Don't forget to practice forming questions by raising your voice and using different question words. The more you practice, the better you will get at speaking Russian!