What does it mean word for word?
Kore means 'this' and is followed by the particle wa, which marks the topic of the sentence. Dōiu is a contraction of 'dō iu', meaning 'what kind of' or 'what sort of'. Imi signifies 'meaning'. The sentence ends with the polite question marker desu ka?
Which one should you use?
While これはどういう意味ですか？ is a formal expression, you can use これはどういう意味でしょうか？ to sound softer and more polite, which translates closer to 'Could you tell me what this means?' For a very informal setting, you can say これ、どういう意味？ by dropping the wa particle and the desu ka ending or use この言葉の意味は？ when speaking with friends or peers.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
これはどういう意味ですか？ is a formal expression. For a softer, more polite tone, use これはどういう意味でしょうか？ In informal situations, you can use これ、どういう意味？ or この言葉の意味は?
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle wa marks the topic, while ka is a particle used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question. The phrase desu ka is the polite way to form a question at the end of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
kore wa dōiu imi desu ka?
Did you know?
- If you use これ、どういう意味？ with a heavy emphasis on the 'imi' part, it can sometimes sound like you are questioning someone's motives or intentions rather than asking for a definition.
- To express that a situation is absurd or unbelievable, Japanese speakers often swap 意味 (meaning) for こと (thing) and ask どういうことですか？
- In Japanese, the word imi is written with the character 意, which also represents 'will', 'intention' or 'heart' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- これはどういう意味ですか？Kore wa dou iu imi desu ka?What does this mean?
- すみません、これはどういう意味ですか？Sumimasen, kore wa dou iu imi desu ka?Excuse me, what does this mean?
Example conversation
Yui is studying Japanese and asks Hiroto about a word.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さん、これはどういう意味ですか？Hiroto-san, kore wa dou iu imi desu ka?Hiroto, what does this mean?
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは「愛」という意味だよ。Sore wa 'ai' to iu imi da yo.That means 'love'.
- 結衣 Yuiなるほど、分かりました。Naruhodo, wakarimashita.I see, I understand.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんは日本語が上手だね。Yui-san wa nihongo ga jouzu da ne.You are good at Japanese, Yui.
