Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¿Qué quieres decir concretamente?

¿Qué quieres decir concretamente?

What do you mean specifically?

Breakdown of ¿Qué quieres decir concretamente?

Questions & Answers about ¿Qué quieres decir concretamente?

Why do we use "quieres decir" instead of "significas" here?

In Spanish, querer decir (literally "to want to say") is used when you are asking what a person means, intends, or is trying to communicate. You use significar when asking for the literal definition or translation of a word, symbol, or fact (like ¿Qué significa esta palabra?).

Does "concretamente" act as an attitude marker here, like "sinceramente"?

It functions in a very similar way! While attitude markers like sinceramente express your feelings about the statement (e.g., "Honestly..."), concretamente acts as a focus marker for the whole sentence. It sets the boundaries for your question, showing the listener that you expect a highly specific answer rather than a vague one.

Could I put "concretamente" at the beginning of the sentence instead?

Yes, you can easily say Concretamente, ¿qué quieres decir?. Moving these types of adverbs to the front is very common in Spanish. Placing it at the beginning frames the entire sentence immediately, emphasizing your demand for specifics right off the bat.

Would "exactamente" work in this sentence too?

Yes, exactamente is a perfect synonym in this context. Saying ¿Qué quieres decir exactamente? is just as natural and common for asking "What exactly do you mean?".