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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

mean/meant

Hi,

Is there a difference between the meaning of the following.

"I don't understand what you mean"

"I don't (didn't?) understand what you meant"

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Don't and mean are present, while didn't and meant are past. For example, if you're talking to someone now, and you have no idea about your interlocutor's words, you can say: I don't understand what you mean. If the talk happened yesterday, you say: (Yesterday) I didn't understand what you meant.

— Ruslana

  • Don't and mean are present, while didn't and meant are past.
  • For example, if you're talking to someone now, and you have no idea about your interlocutor's words, you can say: I don't understand what you mean.
  • If the talk happened yesterday, you say: (Yesterday) I didn't understand what you meant.
  • I don't understand what you meant is also okay and can be used in both the situations described above.
  • In this case, you imply that you still have no idea what your interlocutor meant (some mins ago, yesterday, a week ago, etc).
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1 Answers
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Don't and mean are present, while didn't and meant are past.

For example, if you're talking to someone now, and you have no idea about your interlocutor's words, you can say:

I don't understand what you mean.

If the talk happened yesterday, you say:

(Yesterday) I didn't understand what you meant.

I don't un
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