什么意思？
shénme yìsi?
What does it mean · trad. 什麼意思？
什么意思？ (Shénme yìsi) is a common question used to ask for the meaning of a word, a sign, or to clarify someone's unclear statement.
What does 什么意思？ (shénme yìsi?) mean?
什么意思？ (shénme yìsi?) means “what does it mean” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “what meaning?”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. It can be used in most everyday situations. To ask more politely, you might add 请问 (qǐngwèn, “excuse me, may I ask”) at the beginning.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “SHEN-muh EE-suh?” The first syllable is a rising tone, the second is light, and the third is a falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 这是什么意思？zhè shì shénme yìsi?What does this mean?
- 你是什么意思？nǐ shì shénme yìsi?What do you mean? (asking for intent)
Examples
这个词什么意思？
zhège cí shénme yìsi?
What does this word mean?
你这句话什么意思？
nǐ zhè jù huà shénme yìsi?
What do you mean by that sentence?
不好意思，请问这个标志什么意思？
bù hǎo yìsi, qǐngwèn zhège biāozhì shénme yìsi?
Excuse me, what does this sign mean?
Pro tip: “什么意思？” can sometimes sound a bit blunt if used to challenge someone's statement. For a softer approach, you can add “不好意思” (bù hǎoyìsi, “excuse me”) or “请问” (qǐngwèn, “may I ask”) before it.
Related phrases
今天几号？ · What's the date today你有时间吗？ · Do you have time真的吗？ · Really
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