How to Ask What a Spanish Word Means
An unknown word does not need to block the whole sentence. Ask ¿Qué significa...?, repeat the word clearly, and connect the explanation to its context.
Learning objective
Use ¿Qué significa...? to ask for the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Focus on one unknown word instead of abandoning the sentence. Ask ¿Qué significa llave?, meaning What does llave mean? Qué is the accented question word what. Significa is a present form of significar, to mean, and llave is the word being investigated; it means key.
If you are quoting the word in writing, quotation marks make the target visible: ¿Qué significa “salida”? Salida means exit. In speech, repeat the word clearly and use the surrounding situation. Pointing to a sign or showing the sentence helps the other person identify the exact sound you mean.
A useful answer can be short: Significa “exit” en inglés means It means exit in English. The explanation might instead use simple Spanish, a gesture, or an example. Do not demand a word-for-word English equivalent when context changes the best translation; first seek the meaning needed in this moment.
Confirm by returning the word to its context: salida on a station sign identifies the exit. You can say Ah, salida, gracias, meaning Oh, exit, thank you. This repeat-and-reuse step turns an explanation into a retrievable memory and checks that both speakers are discussing the same word.
Examples
¿Qué significa llave?
What does llave mean?
Llave is the target word and means key.
¿Qué significa “salida”?
What does “salida” mean?
Quotation marks identify the written word being discussed.
Significa “exit” en inglés.
It means “exit” in English.
This answer gives a compact English equivalent.
Ah, salida. Gracias.
Oh, exit. Thank you.
Repeating the answer helps confirm and remember it.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- ¿Qué significado salida?
- Try
- ¿Qué significa salida?
Significado is commonly a noun meaning meaning, while this question frame needs the conjugated verb significa, means. Keep qué significa together, then insert the unknown word. The accent on qué and both question marks also belong in the written question.
Practice
Try it yourself
Run a context detective game with the sign words entrada, salida, and baño. Ask the meaning of each, match it to entrance, exit, or bathroom, then repeat one Spanish word in a short thank-you response.