Question
Deleted user
23 January
Question about English (US)
1What are you talking about?
2You are talking about what?
Does the sentence 2 make sense?
1What are you talking about?
2You are talking about what?
Does the sentence 2 make sense?
2You are talking about what?
Does the sentence 2 make sense?
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23 January
Featured answer
- English (US)
2 CAN make sense, when you want to emphasize "what" even further. In fact, it would be natural in spoken conversation to do such a thing (though not in writing).
In that case, you are establishing (within the flow of conversation) that the other person is talking about something. Now, you want to know WHAT they are talking about. Think of it like how Japanese sometimes puts the question word at the end.
俺のスマホはどこだ！WHERE is my phone? / My phone is... WHERE?
会議は…何時だっけ？WHAT TIME is the meeting, again? / The meeting is WHAT TIME, again?
何を言っているのですか。What are you talking about?
あなたが言っているのは...何？You are talking about... what?
(See the difference?)
Technically 1 doesn't mean anything different and is definitely the one you want to use in most cases; I just wanted to explain how to use 2.
Highly-rated answerer
Read more comments
- English (US)
@tiny-boy Number 1 makes more sense than number 2
Deleted user
Does the second sentence not make sense to you?
- English (US)
Someone would understand what you are saying but, it’s not proper English.
- English (US)
2 CAN make sense, when you want to emphasize "what" even further. In fact, it would be natural in spoken conversation to do such a thing (though not in writing).
In that case, you are establishing (within the flow of conversation) that the other person is talking about something. Now, you want to know WHAT they are talking about. Think of it like how Japanese sometimes puts the question word at the end.
俺のスマホはどこだ！WHERE is my phone? / My phone is... WHERE?
会議は…何時だっけ？WHAT TIME is the meeting, again? / The meeting is WHAT TIME, again?
何を言っているのですか。What are you talking about?
あなたが言っているのは...何？You are talking about... what?
(See the difference?)
Technically 1 doesn't mean anything different and is definitely the one you want to use in most cases; I just wanted to explain how to use 2.
Highly-rated answerer
Deleted user
@yume_kanaeshimono Thank You so much. I totally understand it.
Deleted user
@negronshawn Thank you so much! I appreciate you.
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