was bedeutet das?
The German phrase for "what does that mean?" is was bedeutet das?
You use was bedeutet das? to ask about the meaning or the significance of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of was (what), bedeutet (means) and das (that/it).
Which one should you use?
While was bedeutet das? is used for the meaning or significance of something, the alternative was heißt das? is a very common phrase used specifically when asking for the translation or definition of a word.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, German does not use an auxiliary verb like "do" to form questions. The main verb bedeutet is simply moved to the front of the subject.
Did you know?
- The word bedeutet comes from the root deuten, which means 'to point'. Essentially, when you ask what something means in German, you are asking what the word is pointing toward.
- The verb bedeuten can also be used to express that someone is 'important' to another person, such as Du bedeutest mir viel, meaning 'You mean a lot to me'.
- In certain German dialects, particularly in the north, you might hear 'wat' instead of was, which sounds much closer to the English 'what' than the standard German version.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are reading a book together.
- MaximilianHier steht ein seltsames Wort.There is a strange word here.
- JuliaWelches Wort meinst du, Maximilian?Which word do you mean, Maximilian?
- MaximilianDieses hier. Was bedeutet das?This one. What does that mean?
- JuliaDas ist ein altes Wort für schön.That is an old word for beautiful.
