I meant to say

Question

Hi all! How would I say: "What I meant to say was that I am not busy" in Spanish?

I looked up to mean and I saw significar and referir. I didn't think they sounded right so here are my translations:

Lo que quería decir era que no estoy ocupada Or Lo que quería decir ser que no estoy ocupada

I don't know if ser should be conjugated after decir. Thank you!

Answer 1

I tried these three times in a translator.

What I meant to say was (that) I am not busy.

What I wanted to say was (that) I am not busy.

What I intended to say was (that) I am not busy.

I got this for all three.

Lo que quería decir era que yo no estoy ocupado.

In English they don't mean the same thing though.

Yeah alright. Thank you very much! - Ramonaspiker, May 22, 2016

Answer 2

If I wasn't busy and still am not busy I would say is"

"Lo que quería decir es que no estoy ocupada."

What I wanted to say is that I am not busy.

Thanks Daniela! - Ramonaspiker, May 23, 2016

Answer 3

My guess (and that's what this is) is Lo que quería decir fue era * que no estoy ocupada. No double c in Spanish "ocupada". However I wonder if it would sound better with "no estaba ocupada"?

*Following Ian's entry.

Gracias! Yeah spelling error with the double c. I had a conversation with a friend. She wanted to come over to my house and I said I am busy. Then I looked again and I texted her: "I meant that I am not busy" - Ramonaspiker, May 22, 2016

Why isn't the third verb an infinitive? Quería decir fue (why not ser?) - Ramonaspiker, May 22, 2016

"What I wanted (1) to say (2) to be (3)..." doesn't make sense in English or Spanish. Lo que is the subject of era (it was). - Jubilado, May 22, 2016

Ok so I have to directly translate from Spanish to English. Got it thanks! - Ramonaspiker, May 23, 2016