Level A1 (Beginner)
In today’s lesson, we’ll learn how to ask: “What does _ mean?” in French. The phrase used is “Que veut dire?”. Today you’ll learn this phrases’:
Meaning
Pronunciation with IPA
Usages in example sentences
Signifier (another verb you can use)
Meaning
Let’s have a quick look at how the phrase que veut dire is constructed. The literal translation of que veut dire is “what wants to say”. Que means “what” in French. Veut is the third-person singular form of the verb vouloir (to want). Dire means “to say” in French. Hence, when you ask que veut dire, you’re asking “what does _ want to say?”
Pronunciation
Example sentences
Here’s an example using que veut dire.
Que veut dire ce mot ? Je ne comprends pas.
What does this word mean? I don’t understand.
Que veut dire le mot «pomme» ?
What does “pomme” mean?
“Ça veut dire quoi + word” is a much less formal way of using the phrase 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 being honest means.
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?
