student asking question

When can I say "I mean"? What does it mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

In this case, "I mean" can be used to change the meaning of something you previously said and clarify what you wanted to say or what you truly mean. Ex: He's fat. I mean, chubby! Ex: I didn't mean to say that she's dumb, I just meant that she isn't a genius. In other contexts, "I mean" is used to introduce a statement and make it more clear. It can also be used to justify a statement that has just been made by introducing another statement to make it stronger. Ex: I'm a pretty good cook. I mean, I'm better at cooking than a lot of people. Ex: I think he would be happy to come with us. I mean, he has nothing to do today.

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