Latin

Phrase

quid ais

1. (idiomatic) what do you say?, how say you?
   • c. 254 BCE – 184 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon I.1.363

     SOSIA: Amphitruo, qui nunc praefectust Thebanis legionibus, quicum nupta est Alcumena.
     MERCURY: Quid ais? Quid nomen tibi est?

     SOSIA: Amphitryon, who is now the general of the Theban forces, to whom Alcmena is married.
     MERCURY: How say you? What's your name?

2. asking for a meaning, opinion or judgement; what do you mean?, what do you say? what do you think?
   • c. 185 BCE – 159 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Eunuchus 3.2

     THAIS: Ita me Di ament honestus est.
     PARMENO: Quid tu ais, Gnatho? Numquid habes quod contemnas? Quid tu autem Thraso? Tacent; satis laudant. Fac periclum in literis, fac in palaestra, in musicis: quae liberum scire aequum est adolescentem solertem dabo.

     THAIS: God bless me, he's handsome.
     PARMENO: What say you, Gnatho? Do you see any thing to find fault with? And what say you, Thraso? They hold their tongues; they praise him sufficiently thereby. Make trial of him in literature, try him in exercises,1 and in music; I'll warrant him well skilled in what it becomes a gentleman to know.

3. what is your opinion? what do you say?

   Sed quid ais?‎

   But what do you say?

   • c. 254 BCE – 184 BCE, Plautus, Captivi

     Quid tu ais?

     And you--what have you to say?

See also

• āiens (genitive: āientis); affirming, affirmative (usually affirmativus)

  negantia contraria aientibus

• hunc ais? (do you mean this man?; vide etiam; hunc dicis?)
• quid agis?