hello everybody
just have a question about this expression, i cant manage transltate it correctly :
can i translate кого/чeго имеешь в виду by : who you mean/ what you mean ? (or better : who you are talking about, what you are talking about)?
same for : кого имеешь в виду? : who are you talking about? (so it will be the same as : о ком ты говоришь? )
Кого ты имеешь в виду? Whom do you mean?
Что ты имеешь в виду? What do you mean?
Don`t forget ты/вы = you. And after whom/what must be verb for a question.
Absolutely right ! =))) In a word, these are synonimic phrases, with ‘who/what do you mean’ being a direct word-for-word translation, and ‘who/what are you talking about’ being its meaning !
Update: What do you mean requires a direct object in accusative case, that’s why although huge lot of people say “ЧЕГО ты имеешь в виду”, using genetive case instead of the accusative, the correct one is “ЧТО ты имеешь в виду” ! =)))
The background for this mistake is very simple and obvious: it’s because the genetive and accusative case for ‘Who do you mean’ just coincide, i.e. “КОГО ты имеешь в виду” ! =)) Looks like it’s in genetive case, but it’s in the accusative, actually! =)))