significa
“significa” means “it means” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
it means
Also: it signifies
📝 In Action
¿Qué significa 'agua'?
A1What does 'agua' mean?
Esta señal significa que no puedes entrar.
A2This sign means that you can't enter.
En español, 'libro' significa 'book'.
A1In Spanish, 'libro' means 'book'.
it means a lot
Also: it matters, it represents
📝 In Action
Tu amistad significa mucho para mí.
B1Your friendship means a lot to me.
Para un atleta, ganar una medalla significa todo.
B1For an athlete, winning a medal means everything.
La paloma blanca significa la paz.
A2The white dove represents peace.
Un aumento de sueldo significa que podré viajar.
B2A pay raise means I'll be able to travel.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: significa
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'significa' to talk about emotional importance, not a definition?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'significāre', which is a combination of 'signum' (meaning 'sign' or 'mark') and 'facere' (meaning 'to make' or 'to do'). So, it literally means 'to make a sign'.
First recorded: Around the 13th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'significa' and 'es'?
'Significa' is used to explain the meaning, symbol, or importance of something (What does this mean?). 'Es' is used to state what something is, its identity, or a permanent characteristic (What is this?). For example, 'Esto significa peligro' (This means danger) vs. 'Esto es peligroso' (This is dangerous).
I've seen 'signifiqué' and 'signifique'. Why the 'qu'?
Great question! It's a spelling rule to keep the sound right. The letter 'c' in Spanish makes a 'k' sound before 'a', 'o', 'u' (like in 'significa'), but a soft 's' or 'th' sound before 'e' or 'i'. To keep the hard 'k' sound before an 'e', we have to change the 'c' to 'qu'. This happens in the past tense ('yo signifiqué') and in the present subjunctive ('que yo signifique').