Meaning
Used to rephrase or clarify when struggling to express oneself
Primary Function
Clarification / repair opener
Communicative Purpose
Helps the speaker gather thoughts and express more clearly
Pattern
What I'm trying to say is
Core Structure
What I'm trying to say is
Função primária
Clarification / repair opener
Propósito comunicativo
Helps the speaker gather thoughts and express more clearly
Situações de gatilho
Difficult explanations, language difficulties, emotional talks
Contextos
Conversational, everyday, professional
Padrão
What I'm trying to say is
Estrutura central
What I'm trying to say is
Slots de substituição
A clause or statement that conveys the speaker’s intended meaning (e.g., that …, it …, we …)
Colocados típicos
- that
- it's not that
- we need to
Substituições comuns
- What I mean is
- The point I'm making is
- What I'm getting at is
Erros comuns
'What I'm trying to say it's that' (extra subject)
Similar / contraste
'In other words'
Interferências
L2 learners find this very useful for communication strategies.
Família do chunk
- self-repair / rephrase openers
Nuance
Shows speaker is struggling but cooperative; pragmatically buys time and invites patience
Efeito pragmático
Buys time, invites patience
Dica de memória
"trying to say" = effort to express
Nota
A useful phrase for clarification and self-repair in communication.
Upgrade path
from "I mean" → "What I mean is" → "What I'm trying to say is"
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