French Phrase
Tu vois ce que je veux dire ?
Meaning
Literally, “Do you see what I want to say?” It is used to check whether the listener has understood the point you are making, often in a friendly or informal setting.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversation with friends, classmates, or colleagues when you want to make sure they follow your line of thought. It’s less appropriate in formal business meetings or with people you address with ‘vous’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuvoiscequejeveuxdire?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun used with friends, family, or peers.
Verb ‘voir’ (vois)
‘Vois’ is the present‑tense, 2nd‑person singular form of the verb ‘voir’ (to see).
Relative pronoun ‘ce que’
‘Ce que’ introduces a subordinate clause meaning ‘what/that which’. It links the verb ‘voir’ with the idea you want the listener to grasp.
Verb ‘vouloir’ (veux)
‘Veux’ is the present‑tense, 1st‑person singular of ‘vouloir’ (to want). Here it forms the expression ‘je veux dire’ – ‘I want to say’.
Infinitive ‘dire’
‘Dire’ is the infinitive of ‘to say/tell’. In the phrase it completes ‘je veux dire’.
Question intonation
Even without a question word, the rising intonation at the end (or the written question mark) signals that this is a yes‑no question.
🗨In Conversation
Je pense que le projet doit être lancé avant la fin du mois, sinon on risque de perdre des clients. Tu vois ce que je veux dire ?
I think the project should be launched before the end of the month, otherwise we risk losing clients. Do you see what I mean?
Oui, je comprends. On doit accélérer le planning.
Yes, I get it. We need to speed up the schedule.
✕Common Mistakes
Tu comprends ce que je veux dire ?
Learners sometimes replace ‘voir’ with ‘comprendre’, which changes the nuance; ‘voir’ adds a visual‑metaphor feel.
Tu vois je veux dire ?
Omitting ‘ce que’ makes the sentence ungrammatical.
Tu voit ce que je veux dire ?
Using the third‑person form ‘voit’ with ‘tu’ is a subject‑verb agreement error.
Tu vois ce que je veux dire.
In spoken French the intonation is enough, but in writing the question mark must stay after the whole sentence, not after ‘dire’ only.
↔Alternatives
Tu comprends ce que je dis ?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Tu saisis ce que je veux dire ?
Do you get what I mean?
Tu piges ?
You get it?
Tu vois où je veux en venir ?
Do you see where I'm getting at?
Cultural Tip
‘Tu vois ce que je veux dire ?’ is informal and carries a friendly tone. In France, using ‘tu’ signals familiarity, so reserve it for people you know well or who have invited you to use ‘tu’. In a formal context, you would switch to the polite form: ‘Vous voyez ce que je veux dire ?’. Also, French speakers often prefer ‘tu comprends’ or ‘tu saisis’ when they want a clearer confirmation, but the ‘voir’ construction adds a visual metaphor that feels natural in everyday speech.