Portuguese · Greetings & Essentials
"What does this mean?" in Portuguese: O que isso significa?
O que isso significa?
What does this mean? in Portuguese is O que isso significa? Point at a sign, word, or message and ask when something is unclear.
Street sign
O que isso significa nesta placa amarela?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce O que isso significa?
Say it
oo kee EE-soo see-gnee-FEE-kah
/ˈo ˈke ˈisu siɡ.ni.ˈfi.ka/
oo kee EE-soo see-gnee-FEE-kah. Significa stresses FEE.
"What does this mean?" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| O que isso significa? | What does this mean? Core phrase. | Core phrase. |
| O que significa…? | What does … mean? Before a word. | Before a word. |
| O que quer dizer…? | What does … mean / intend? Very common alternate. | Very common alternate. |
| Não entendi o significado. | I didn’t get the meaning. Follow-up. | Follow-up. |
How to use O que isso significa? in real life
- 1Street sign
O que isso significa nesta placa amarela?
What does this mean on this yellow sign?
Full phrase + pointing.
- 2Chat message
O que isso significa no áudio que ela mandou?
What does this mean in the audio she sent?
Message clarity.
- 3Menu item
O que isso significa — “ao molho da casa”?
What does this mean — “house sauce”?
Food vocab.
Mistakes English speakers make with O que isso significa?
Incorrect: O que significa isso significa?
Correct: O que isso significa?
Don’t double significa.
Incorrect: What does it mean? só em inglês.
Correct: O que isso significa?
Use the Portuguese question.
Good to know
O que isso significa? and O que quer dizer isso? both sound natural. Pointing helps more than long explanations. Learners use this constantly with slang and abbreviations in chats.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Decoding a work Slack message
ChatPal
Li “ASAP com care”. O que isso significa aqui?
I read “ASAP com care.” What does this mean here?
You
O que isso significa? Urgente, mas com cuidado.
What does this mean? Urgent, but carefully.
ChatPal
Ah, entendi. Obrigada pela tradução.
Ah, got it. Thanks for the translation.
You
Qualquer sigla nova, me pergunta.
Any new acronym, ask me.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What does this mean?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What does this mean?" in Portuguese
Alternate phrase?
O que quer dizer isso?
Before a word?
O que significa “…”?
Is isso required?
Helpful when pointing; optional with a quoted word.
Polite add-on?
Desculpa — o que isso significa?
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
