What does this mean?
A very common alternative, literally 'What does this want to say?'. Use it interchangeably with the main phrase.
Use this to state 'I don't understand,' which often prompts someone to explain something.
A simple way to ask 'Can you explain?'. It's direct and useful for beginners.
Excuse me, the sign says 'pare'. What does this mean?
I heard the word 'chévere'. What does that mean?
You speak very fast. I don't understand.
This is new to me. Can you explain, please?
The phrase '¿Qué significa esto?' is standard and understood everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world. Variations are minimal and mostly related to pronunciation or formality.
In many parts of Spain, the 'c' in 'significa' is pronounced with a 'th' sound (like 'think'), so it sounds like 'seeg-nee-FEE-tha'. The meaning is identical.
While the phrase itself doesn't change, you might hear '¿Qué quiere decir?' used very frequently. The informal 'vos' pronoun would be used in surrounding conversation (e.g., '¿Vos me podés explicar?').
'¿Qué significa esto?' and '¿Qué quiere decir esto?' are both extremely common and used interchangeably.
¿Qué hace esto significa? — ¿Qué significa esto? — Spanish does not use an auxiliary verb like 'do' or 'does' to form questions. You simply start with the question word 'Qué' followed by the verb 'significa'.
¿Qué es el significo de esto? — ¿Qué significa esto? or ¿Cuál es el significado de esto? — 'Significo' is the 'I mean' form of the verb. The noun for 'meaning' is 'significado'. The most direct and common way to ask is simply using the verb: '¿Qué significa esto?'.
¿Qué significa este? — ¿Qué significa esto? — When you are asking about an unknown thing, concept, or word, use the neutral pronoun 'esto'. Use 'este' (masculine) or 'esta' (feminine) only when you know the gender of the noun you're referring to (e.g., 'este letrero' - this sign).
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