asked her what she meant vs asked what she meant

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Asked her what she meant' is used when specifying the person being asked, while 'asked what she meant' is more general and does not specify the person. The choice between the two depends on whether you want to emphasize the person being asked or not.

Last updated: March 11, 2024

asked her what she meant

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when you want to specify the person who was asked about their meaning. It emphasizes the interaction between the speaker and the person being asked.

Examples:

He asked her what she meant by her cryptic message.
She asked her friend what she meant by her strange behavior.

Show examples from the web [+]

"When I asked her what she meant, she said, 'I don't want to get pregnant. I don't want to drop out of high school. I don't want to get involved with a gang'—the ...
12 hours ago ... ... her own car and become more independent and that everything would fall into place like it should and I asked her what she meant by that but ...
I asked her what she meant by this and she replied: “Well, the letter you wrote to your mother yesterday.” I asked her how she could know about this and she ...
at length with her repeated refusals, he asked her what she meant by such conduct; he told her how strong and how unchangeable his love was. "Well," she ...

Alternatives:

asked what she meant
inquired about her meaning
questioned her intentions
queried her explanation
sought clarification from her

asked what she meant

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is more general and does not specify the person who was asked about their meaning. It is used when the focus is on the meaning itself rather than the interaction.

Examples:

He asked what she meant by her cryptic message.
She asked what she meant by her strange behavior.

Show examples from the web [+]

"If the queen only knew my mother's power, she'd not drive me out," said the little girl; and when the queen asked what she meant more plainly, she told her how ...
"If the Queen only knew my mother's power, she'd not drive me out," said the little lassie; and when the Queen asked what she meant more plainly, she told her ...
I asked what she meant and she said I was shot in the head while I was driving and I did not wreck the car on purpose. I was able to describe in detail to my wife ...
The idler was alarmed, and asked what she meant. She gave him a long lecture, showing that she had done what he was doing—that her cutting through her ...

Alternatives:

asked her what she meant
inquired about the meaning
questioned the intentions
queried the explanation
sought clarification

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asked her what she meant vs asked what she meant