それはどういう意味ですか？
sore wa dō iu imi desu ka?
In Japanese, "what does that mean?" is translated as それはどういう意味ですか？ (sore wa dō iu imi desu ka?)
If you omit the subject sore wa, the phrase どういう意味ですか？ can also be used to ask "What do you mean?" (implying the person's intent or logic) rather than just the definition of a word.
Which one should you use?
Use sore wa (that) when referring to something the other person just said, but use are wa (that over there) if you are pointing to a physical object or text at a distance. それは何を意味していますか？ is a polite way to ask about the meaning of something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form それはどういう意味ですか？ is the polite way to ask this question. Dropping the desu ka at the end makes the phrase informal and suitable for friends or family, resulting in それはどういう意味？
How do you pronounce it?
sore wa dō iu imi desu ka?
Did you know?
- The kanji for 意味 consists of 意 'idea' and 味 'taste'. This suggests that the 'meaning' of a word is akin to the 'flavor' or 'savor' of an idea.
- Japanese speakers may avoid asking それはどういう意味ですか？ entirely to save the other person's 'face'. Instead, they might say 勉強不足で 'due to my lack of study' to take the blame for not knowing the word.
- In a business context, asking どういう意味ですか？ directly can sometimes sound confrontational or like you are challenging the speaker's logic. To be softer, Japanese speakers often use すみません 'excuse me' or a hesitant あの 'um' before the phrase.
Examples in context
- この言葉の意味は何ですか？What does this word mean?
- 最後のセリフの意味は何？What does the last line mean?
- すみません、それはどういう意味ですか？Sumimasen, sore wa dou iu imi desu ka?Excuse me, what does that mean?
Example conversation
Hiyori and Daito are studying together.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、この漢字がわかりません。Daito-san, kono kanji ga wakarimasen.Daito, I don't understand this kanji.
- 大翔 Hirotoこれは「感謝」という意味だよ。Kore wa 'kansha' to iu imi da yo.This means 'gratitude'.
- 陽葵 Himariそれはどういう意味ですか？Sore wa dou iu imi desu ka?What does that mean?
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうと言うことだよ。Arigatou to iu koto da yo.It means saying thank you.
