How do you say "What does this mean?" in Japanese?

"What does this mean?" in Japanese is "これはどういう意味ですか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘What does this mean?’ in Japanese

Q: What does "これはどういう意味ですか。" mean in English?

"これはどういう意味ですか。" means "What does this mean?" in English. Usage tip: [どういう] means "what kind of," so this is literally asking "this is what kind of meaning?" It's a very natural way to ask what something means in context.

これはどういう意味ですか。

kore wa dou iu imi desu ka

[koh-reh wah doh ee-oo ee-mee dess kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [どういう] means "what kind of," so this is literally asking "this is what kind of meaning?" It's a very natural way to ask what something means in context.

Phrase Breakdown

これは

kore wa

This

Refers to the thing you are asking about.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか。

What does this mean?

Words in this phrase

これ

kore

[koh-reh]

this

Points to something near the speaker. Often used while showing a sign, word, or object.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、教えてください。

What does this mean? Please tell me.

は

[wah]

topic marker

Marks これ as the topic: “as for this…”

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、看板ですか。

What does this mean? Is it a sign?

どういう意味

dou iu imi

What kind of meaning

Asks for the meaning or sense of something.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか。

What does this mean?

Words in this phrase

どう

dou

[doh]

what kind of / how

In どういう, it asks what kind of meaning or explanation something has.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、難しい言葉です。

What does this mean? It’s a difficult word.

いう

[ee-oo]

say / called

Part of どういう, literally related to “to say,” but here together means “what kind of.”

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、よく見ます。

What does this mean? I see it often.

意味

imi

[ee-mee]

meaning

The noun for meaning or sense. Useful when asking about words and signs.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、日本語の意味が知りたいです。

What does this mean? I want to know the Japanese meaning.

ですか

desu ka

Is it? / question ending

Polite question ending.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか。

What does this mean?

Words in this phrase

です

desu

[dess]

Polite copula used in questions and explanations.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、重要ですか。

What does this mean? Is it important?

か

[kah]

question marker

Makes the sentence a question.

Example

これはどういう意味ですか、辞書にありますか。

What does this mean? Is it in the dictionary?

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