Traditional Chinese - Conversation Repair

我不是這個意思。

Wǒ bú shì zhège yìsi.

That's not what I meant.

Meaning: 我不是這個意思。 (Wǒ bú shì zhège yìsi.) means “That’s not what I meant.”

When to use: Use it when someone understands your intention the wrong way and you want to clarify gently.

Tip: Don’t use this to say you don’t understand. It means your own meaning was misunderstood.

如果我說錯，請糾正我。

Rúguǒ wǒ shuō cuò, qǐng jiūzhèng wǒ.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Meaning: 如果我說錯，請糾正我。 (Rúguǒ wǒ shuō cuò, qǐng jiūzhèng wǒ.) means “Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

When to use: Use it when you are checking facts, learning Mandarin, or trying to say something accurately.

可以講大聲一點嗎？

Kěyǐ jiǎng dàshēng yìdiǎn ma?

Can you speak up a little?

Meaning: 可以講大聲一點嗎？ (Kěyǐ jiǎng dàshēng yìdiǎn ma?) means “Can you speak up a little?”

When to use: Use it when the person’s voice is too quiet, especially on the phone or in a noisy place.

我聽不太清楚

Wǒ tīng bú tài qīngchǔ.

I can't hear you well.

Meaning: 我聽不太清楚。 (Wǒ tīng bú tài qīngchǔ.) means “I can’t hear you well.”

When to use: Use it when the sound is unclear, too quiet, or breaking up.

訊號不太好

Xùnhào bú tài hǎo.

The connection is bad.

Meaning: 訊號不太好。 (Xùnhào bú tài hǎo.) means “The connection is bad.”

When to use: Use it for phone, video call, Wi-Fi, or mobile signal problems.

我沒聽到最後那段。

Wǒ méi tīng dào zuìhòu nà duàn.

I missed the last part.

Meaning: 我沒聽到最後那段。 (Wǒ méi tīng dào zuìhòu nà duàn.) means “I missed the last part.”

When to use: Use it when you heard most of the message, but not the ending.

最後一個字是什麼？

Zuìhòu yí ge zì shì shénme?

What was the last word?

Meaning: 最後一個字是什麼？ (Zuìhòu yí ge zì shì shénme?) means “What was the last word?”

When to use: Use it when only one final word or character was unclear.

Tip: 字 (zì) can mean a written character, but in this kind of repair question it can also point to a spoken word.

你說的 ___ 是什麼意思？

Nǐ shuō de ___ shì shénme yìsi?

What do you mean by ___?

Meaning: 你說的 ___ 是什麼意思？ (Nǐ shuō de ___ shì shénme yìsi?) means “What do you mean by ___?”

When to use: Use it to ask about a word, phrase, or expression someone just used.

我對 ___ 有點困惑。

Wǒ duì ___ yǒudiǎn kùnhuò.

I'm confused about ___.

Meaning: 我對 ___ 有點困惑。 (Wǒ duì ___ yǒudiǎn kùnhuò.) means “I’m confused about ___.”

When to use: Use it when you can identify the topic or part that is confusing you.

這個詞用得對嗎？

Zhège cí yòng de duì ma?

Is this the right word?

Meaning: 這個詞用得對嗎？ (Zhège cí yòng de duì ma?) means “Is this the right word?”

When to use: Use it when you want to check whether your chosen word fits the situation.

Tip: Use 詞 (cí) for “word.” Don’t confuse it with 字 (zì), which often means a character.

你指的是哪一個？

Nǐ zhǐ de shì nǎ yí ge?

Which one do you mean?

Meaning: 你指的是哪一個？ (Nǐ zhǐ de shì nǎ yí ge?) means “Which one do you mean?”

When to use: Use it when someone says “that one,” “this one,” or refers to something unclear.

不好意思，我剛剛沒聽清楚。

Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ gānggāng méi tīng qīngchǔ.

Sorry, I lost you for a moment.

Meaning: 不好意思，我剛剛沒聽清楚。 (Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ gānggāng méi tīng qīngchǔ.) means “Sorry, I lost you for a moment.”

When to use: Use it after a brief audio problem or momentary misunderstanding, then ask the person to continue or repeat.