Could you clarify what you mean by…?
Neutral Polite
What it really means
A polite way to ask for a clearer explanation of one specific thing. It sounds engaged, not slow — British academics take it as a good question.
Chinese explanation
请对方把某个具体问题解释得更清楚的礼貌说法。这听起来是积极参与，不是反应慢——英国老师会认为这是好问题。
Example conversation
A: Could you clarify what you mean by "critical engagement"?
B: Good question — it means weighing the argument, not just describing it.
A：您能解释一下"批判性思考"具体指什么吗？
B：问得好——意思是评判论点，而不是仅仅描述它。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All University Words
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake