Inklingo

How to Say "they mean" in Spanish

The Spanish word forthey meanis significanA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
referring to the definition of words or symbols
A red heart shape floating next to a smiling cartoon child hugging a soft brown teddy bear, illustrating that symbols have explicit meanings.

Examples

No entiendo qué significan estas señales de tráfico.

I don't understand what these traffic signs mean.

Los colores de la bandera significan paz y prosperidad.

The colors of the flag mean peace and prosperity.

Ustedes significan mucho para mí, gracias por venir.

You (all) mean a lot to me, thank you for coming.

The CAR-GAR-ZAR Rule

Even though 'significar' is regular, it has a spelling change to keep the hard 'k' sound. When the ending starts with 'e' (like in the past tense 'yo' or the whole subjunctive), the 'c' changes to 'qu': yo signifiqué.

Forgetting the 'n'

Mistake:Misusing 'significa' when referring to plural subjects (Las palabras significa).

Correction: Always match the verb to the plural subject: 'Las palabras significan'. The 'n' tells you 'they' are doing the action.

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.