What mistake do English speakers make with -말이다?

말이에요 can sound confrontational if tone is wrong. 제 말은... = What I mean is... (softer lead-in).

📝 Grammar B2 ✓ Native Reviewed

-말이다

-mal ida

I mean / That is to say / In other words

What it means

말이다 (or 말이에요) is used to clarify, restate, or emphasize what was just said — similar to "I mean," "that is to say," or "what I'm saying is."

Nuance & when to use

무슨 말이에요? = What do you mean? 제 말이 맞아요 = What I say is right. ~말이에요 = is what I mean. ~말이 아니에요 = that's not what I mean. Very common in conversations when clarifying misunderstandings. 아니, 그 말이 아니라 = No, that's not what I mean.

Example sentences

무슨 말이에요? Musun malieyo? What do you mean?

그 말이 아니에요. Geu mali anieyo. That's not what I mean.

References Naver Korean Dictionary ↗ 국립국어원 표준국어대사전 ↗

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-말이다

What it means

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