Meaning of 意味着
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to signify
- to mean
- to imply
How to use 意味着
意味着 links a fact or event to its consequence or deeper significance, and it is common in news, essays and serious conversation. It is usually followed by a noun phrase or a whole clause. Example: 下雨意味着比赛要取消。(Xià yǔ yìwèizhe bǐsài yào qǔxiāo.) Rain means the match will be canceled.
Think of it as 意 (yì, meaning) plus 味 (wèi, flavor) plus 着 (zhe, ongoing): something carries the "flavor of a meaning." When a fact 意味着 something, it gives off a hint of what it really implies.
Common mistake: Learners often use 意味着 where they should use 意思是 (yìsi shì) to explain what a word means. Say 这个词的意思是… for definitions, and save 意味着 for implications, as in 失业意味着没有收入 (losing a job means no income).
意味着 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
意 yì · thought · 13 strokes
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味 wèi · taste · 8 strokes
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着 zhe · aspect particle indicating action in pr… · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 意味着.
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
| 味道 | wèidào | flavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...); hint (of ...) |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
| 接着 | jiēzhe | to catch and hold on; to continue |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | idea; opinion |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
Questions about 意味着
What does 意味着 mean?
意味着 (yìwèizhe) means "to signify; to mean" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 意味着?
意味着 is made of 3 characters: 意 (13 strokes), 味 (8 strokes), 着 (11 strokes). That is 32 strokes in total.
Is 意味着 an HSK word?
Yes. 意味着 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 意味着 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 意味着 is written 意味著.
Can I say 意味了 or drop the 着 in 意味着?
No. 意味着 is a fixed verb and the 着 is part of it, so 意味了 is wrong. In very formal writing you may see 意味 alone as a noun meaning "flavor" or "overtone," as in 讽刺意味 (fěngcì yìwèi, a hint of irony).
How do I make 意味着 negative?
Put 不 before it: 不意味着 (bù yìwèizhe), "does not mean." For example, 便宜不意味着质量差。(Piányi bù yìwèizhe zhìliàng chà.) Cheap does not mean poor quality. Do not use 没 here.