Questions & Answers about Co masz na myśli?
I know how to say 'What does it mean?' using znaczyć. Why aren't we using znaczyć here?
The verb znaczyć is used when asking for the definition of a word or a situation, like Co to znaczy? (What does this mean?). When you want to ask what a person means or intends to say, Polish uses the fixed phrase mieć na myśli, which literally translates to 'to have on mind'.
Is myśli a verb here, like in 'he thinks'?
No, in this phrase, myśli is a noun. The base form is the feminine noun myśl (a thought). Because it follows the preposition na describing a location or state, it takes the Locative case, changing from myśl to myśli.
Can I say Co masz w myśli? since it translates to 'What do you have in mind?'
No, you must use na. While English speakers say they have something 'in mind', Polish speakers use the set idiom mieć na myśli, which literally means 'to have on mind'. Saying w myśli would sound unnatural as a way to ask what someone means.
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