Level A1 (Beginner)
Published December 31, 2023 • Updated February 25, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is “Que veut dire“, a highly useful expression meaning “What does ___ mean?” It is one of the most common phrases in French and is used constantly in conversation and online searches to ask about the meaning of words and expressions.
📘 Que veut dire meaning in French
Que veut dire is a French expression meaning “What does it mean?” It is used to ask for the meaning of a word, phrase, or expression. The structure is “Que veut dire ___ ?” — or “What does ___ mean?”
Literally, it translates to “what wants to say.” The word veut comes from vouloir (to want), and dire means “to say.” In French, this construction is used to ask about the meaning of something.
It is extremely common in everyday conversation and in online searches in France, where people type “que veut dire + word” to look up definitions. For example, “Que veut dire gentillesse ?” (What does gentillesse mean?).
🎧 Que veut dire pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of que veut dire is /kə vø diʁ/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “kuh vuh deer.”
📝 Que veut dire usage examples
Que veut dire ce mot ? Je ne comprends pas.
What does this word mean? I don’t understand.
👉 See also: Comprendre conjugation chart (with audio and quiz) »
Que veut dire le mot « pomme » ?
What does “pomme” mean?
“Ça veut dire quoi ?” is a more informal alternative to “Que veut dire _ ?“
Ça veut dire quoi, « ainsi que » ?
What does “ainsi que” mean?
The phrase que veut dire can be used in other contexts besides asking what words mean. Here’s an example.
Le petit garçon a enfin appris ce que veut dire être honnête.
The little boy finally learned what it means to be honest.
Signifier
In addition to que veut dire, you can also use the verb signifier to ask what something means.
Que signifie cette phrase ? Pouvez-vous la traduire?
What does this sentence mean? Can you translate it?
The phrase que veut dire makes use of two top-10 verbs: vouloir (to want) and dire (to say, to tell).
See also:
👉 Vouloir conjugation chart (with audio and quiz) »
👉 Dire conjugation chart (with audio and quiz) »
❓ Want to feel more confident in French?
🎯 À Moi Paris — This is my top recommendation for online French courses, and it pairs wonderfully with my daily lessons. Camille Chevalier teaches with engaging audio stories that she records at three speeds. Her specialty is helping students with pronunciation and bridging the gap between textbook French and real spoken French as you hear it on the streets of Paris.
👉 Explore À Moi Paris »
👉 Read my review »
🎧 French Verb Drills — Having trouble with French verb conjugations? Camille’s audio drills break everything down step by step so you can finally lock in the patterns and speak with confidence.
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? — What does that mean?
- que signifie — what does it mean
- cela veut dire — that means
- ça veut dire — that means (informal)
- vouloir dire — to mean
- le sens — meaning / sense
- la signification — meaning / significance
- comment dit-on… ? — how do you say…?
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 la phrase (sentence) »
👉 le mot (word) »
👉 Que – what »
👉 Vouloir (to want) »
👉 Dire (to say, to tell) »
Que veut dire — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does “que veut dire” mean in French?
“Que veut dire” means “what does _ mean?” It is used to ask for the meaning of a word, phrase, or expression.
How do you use “que veut dire”?
You use “que veut dire” followed by a word or expression you want defined. The structure is:
Que veut dire + word ?
For example:
Que veut dire gentillesse ?
What does gentillesse mean?
Why do French people search “que veut dire + word”?
In France, people frequently type “que veut dire + word” into a search engine to look up the meaning of slang, expressions, or abbreviations. For example, someone might search “que veut dire wesh ?” or “que veut dire mdrr ?” to find definitions.
