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How smart people say "What do you mean"

Three natural English lines for How smart people say "What do you mean", each heard in a film, with tone notes.

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The lines at a glance

What do you have in mind?Friendly and curious
Could you clarify that?Polite and professional
Help me understand.Calm but serious

What happens in the video

Hana: I love the logo. Now make it look nothing like this.

Theo: What do you mean? Love it, but delete it?

Theo: Okay, Hana. Could you clarify that for me?

Hana: Exactly this one. Just tell the client it's new.

1 What do you have in mind?

Tone Friendly and curious

Use it when a plan sounds vague.

What do you have in mind?

Heard in Amazing Winter Romance (2020)

2 Could you clarify that?

Tone Polite and professional

Clarify: make an idea easier to understand.

Could you clarify that?

Heard in Tom & Viv (1994)

3 Help me understand.

Tone Calm but serious

Use it when something feels wrong.

Help me understand.

Heard in Church Girl (2011)

Film lines are short quotes used for language teaching. The dialogue belongs to its rightsholders. Hana and Theo are animated characters made with Google Flow.

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