ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnerverboverbo
SayvsMean
"Say" is to produce words; "mean" is the intention or meaning behind them.
Side-by-side comparison
Say
verbo"Say" is to express or utter words. It focuses on the act of speaking. "What did he say?" = what words did he use? It does not imply intention, only expression.
She said she would call me back, but she never did.
What did he say? I could not hear him.
Do not say anything, just listen for now.
Mean
verbo"Mean" is to intend to say or to have a particular significance. "What do you mean?" = what is your intention? "What does this word mean?" = what is the meaning of this word?
What do you mean? I do not understand.
I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I am sorry.
What does this word mean in English?
Common mistake
- •Classic false cognate trap: "¿Qué quieres decir?" translates to "What do you mean?". NOT "What do you want to say?" (sounds odd in English).
- •Also: "¿Qué significa esta palabra?" = "What does this word mean?". NOT "What does this word say?" (a word does not "say" anything on its own; it "means" something).
Trick to remember it
- •When you want to understand someone's INTENTION, use "mean" ("What did you mean by that?").
- •When you are quoting the WORDS someone used, use "say" ("What did she say?").
- •Say = the words themselves.
- •Mean = the intention or significance behind them.
Quick rule
"Say" = produce words. "Mean" = intend / signify.
Did you know?
MEAN is one of the most polysemous words in English, with at least five completely different uses. As a verb: "What do you mean?" (what are you trying to express?) and "I didn't mean to hurt you" (I had no intention of hurting you). As an adjective: "a mean person" (a cruel or unkind person) and "mean streets" (dangerous streets). As a noun in mathematics: "the mean of the data" (the average). And in the expression "It means a lot to me" (it is very significant to me). One word, five completely distinct semantic territories.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
What do you _____ by that? I don't quite understand.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What did she _____ when she called? Did she leave a message?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
NoisevsSound
"Noise" is unwanted or formless sound; "sound" is any acoustic signal, pleasant or not.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsCurrently
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy