mean

Hear an audio pronunciation
significar
Hear an audio pronunciation
mean(
min
)
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
transitive verb
1. (to signify)
a. significar
"Monsieur" means "sir" in French."Monsieur" significa "señor" en francés.
b. querer decir
What does this paragraph mean?¿Qué quiere decir este párrafo?
2. (to refer to)
a. querer decir
What did you mean when you said you didn't think this was working?¿Qué quisiste decir cuando dijiste que esto no está funcionando?
3. (to imply)
a. referirse
When I said I didn't want to talk to anybody, I didn't mean you.Cuando dije que no quería hablar con nadie, no me refería a ti.
4. (to intend)
a. tener la intención de
I didn't mean to say the things that I said. I'm sorry.No tuve la intención de decir lo que dije. Lo siento.
5. (to be important)
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
I can't imagine life without you. You mean the world to me.No me imagino vivir sin ti. Lo eres todo para mí.
Money doesn't mean anything to Rose. She'd rather have love.El dinero no es importante para Rose. Preferiría el amor.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).
noun
6. (average)
a. la media
(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(F)
The mean of the above numbers is 22.La media de los números anteriores es 22.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g. the big dog).
adjective
7. (nasty)
a. malo
You're so mean! All you ever do is criticize me!¡Eres tan malo! ¡Te pasas el día criticándome!
b. mezquino
You have to demonstrate that the teacher is being mean and not just being strict.Tienes que demostrar que el profesor está siendo mezquino y no simplemente estricto.
8. (miserly)
a. tacaño
Her first husband was wealthy but mean. He hated to spend money.Su primer marido era rico pero tacaño. Odiaba gastar dinero.
b. mezquino
Ebenezer Scrooge was a very mean individual when it came to money.Ebenezer Scrooge fue un hombre muy mezquino en lo que tenía que ver con el dinero.
9. (average)
a. medio
Find the mean number of girls born in families with six children.Encuentra el número medio de niñas nacidas en familias con seis hijos.
10.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g. skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(excellent)
Regionalism used in the United States
(United States)
a. increíble
I can make you a mean lemonade if you hang on a sec.Te puedo preparar una limonada increíble si me esperas tantito.
b. bestial
A very informal word or phrase used by a particular group or community as a substitute for standard language (e.g. joint, john).
(slang)
Regionalism used in Spain
(Spain)
You can make a mean salsa with canned tomatoes.Se puede hacer una salsa bestial con tomates en lata.
means
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).
noun
11. (method)
a. el medio
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
Politics only ennobles when it is a means to serve others.La política sólo enaltece cuando es un medio para servir al prójimo.
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
plural noun
12. (reasons)
a. los medios
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
The means are justified if we consider all options.Los medios están justificados si consideramos todas las opciones.
13. (wealth)
a. los recursos
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
The thief lacks the means to pay a good lawyer.El ladrón no tiene los recursos para pagar un buen abogado.
b. los medios
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
(M)
Not everyone has the means to pursue higher education.No todo el mundo tiene los medios para proseguir los estudios superiores.
Copyright © Curiosity Media Inc.
mean
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. I bought a book.).
transitive verb
1. (signify; of word, event)
a. significar
2. (person)
a. querer decir
what does the word “tacky” mean?¿qué significa or qué quiere decir la palabra “tacky”?
this is Tim, I mean Toméste es Tim, digo Tom
what do you mean?¿qué quieres decir?
it doesn't mean anythingno quiere decir o significa nada
3. (speak sincerely)
a. hablar en serio
I mean itlo digo en serio
you don't mean it!¡no lo dirás en serio!
4. (be of importance)
a. significar
the price means nothing to himel precio no le preocupa
it means a lot to mesignifica mucho para mí
5. (imply, involve)
a. significar, suponer
it would mean having to give up smokingsignificaría tener que dejar de fumar
6. (intend)
a.
to mean to do somethingtener (la) intención de hacer algo
she means welllo hace con buena intención
I mean him no harmno pretendo hacerle ningún daño
I mean to succeedme he propuesto triunfar
you were meant to ring me firstse suponía que primero me tenías que telefonear
it's meant to be a good film(se supone que) tiene que ser una buena película
she meant you to have this ringquería que esta sortija fuera para ti
it was meant as a joke/a complimentpretendía ser una broma/un cumplido
the bomb was meant for youla bomba iba destinada a ti
this portrait is meant to be of the dukeeste cuadro pretende ser un retrato del duque
we were meant for each otherestábamos hechos el uno para el otro
Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited
mean [miːn] meant (past)
transitive verb
1 [+word, sign] (signify) significar; querer decir
what does this word mean? ¿qué significa or quiere decir esta palabra?; "vest" means something different in America en América "vest" tiene otro significado or significa otra cosa; you know what it means to hit a policeman? ¿usted sabe qué consecuencias trae el golpear a un policía?
what do you mean by that? ¿qué quieres decir con eso?
it means a lot to have you with us significa mucho tenerte con nosotros
your friendship means a lot to me tu amistad es muy importante or significa mucho para mí; a pound means a lot to her para ella una libra es mucho dinero; it means a lot of expense for us supone un gasto muy fuerte para nosotros
the name means nothing to me el nombre no me suena
the play didn't mean a thing to me no saqué nada en claro de la obra
know
2 [+person] (imply) querer decir; (refer to) referirse a
what do you mean? ¿qué quieres decir?; 18, I mean 19 18, digo 19; do you mean me? ¿te refieres a mí?
 (signify) significar
don't I mean anything to you? ¿no significo yo nada para ti?
 (be determined about)
I mean what I say lo digo en serio; you can't mean it! ¡no lo dirás en serio!; I mean it va en serio
 (intend)
to mean to do sth pensar hacer algo; what do you mean to do? ¿qué piensas hacer?; I meant to help pensaba ayudar; tenía la intención de ayudar; I mean to have it pienso or me propongo obtenerlo; he didn't mean to do it lo hizo sin querer; I mean to have you sacked voy a encargarme de que te despidan; sorry, I didn't mean you to do it lo siento, mi intención no era que lo hicieras tú; I mean to be obeyed insisto en que se me obedezca; if he means to be awkward si quiere complicar las cosas
I meant it as a joke lo dije en broma
was the remark meant for me? ¿el comentario iba por mí?
I meant no harm by what I said no lo dije con mala intención
he meant no offence no tenía intención de ofender a nadie
he means well tiene buenas intenciones
3 (suppose) suponer
to be meant to do sth
it's meant to be a good car este coche se supone que es bueno; parents are meant to love their children se supone que los padres quieren a sus hijos; the teacher is meant to do it se supone que el profesor lo debe hacer; we were meant to arrive at eight se suponía que llegaríamos a las ocho; this picture is meant to tell a story este cuadro se propone contar una historia; this portrait is meant to be Anne este retrato es de Anne, aunque no lo parezca; perhaps you weren't meant to be a vet quizá lo tuyo no sea la veterinaria
never mind, you obviously weren't meant to be a vet to vet school
I wasn't meant to work for my living! ¡yo no estoy hecho para trabajar!
she wasn't meant to be prime minister
you're not meant to drink it! ¡no es para beber!
mean [miːn]
adjective
meaner (comparative)meanest (superlative)
1 (stingy) tacaño; agarrado (informal); amarrete (informal); (And) (S. Cone)
you mean thing! ¡qué tacaño eres!
2 (nasty) malo
don't be mean! ¡no seas malo!; you mean thing! ¡qué malo eres!; a mean trick una jugarreta; una mala pasada; that was pretty mean of them se han portado bastante mal; you were mean to me te portaste fatal or muy mal conmigo
3 (vicious) malo
4 (of poor quality) inferior; (shabby) humilde; vil; (humble) [+birth] humilde; pobre
the meanest citizen el ciudadano más humilde; obvious to the meanest intelligence obvio para cualquiera con un mínimo de sentido común; she's no mean cook es una cocinera excelente
5 (US) formidable; de primera
he plays a mean game juega estupendamente
mean [miːn]
noun
(middle term) término (m) medio; (average) promedio (m); (Mat) media (f)
the golden or happy mean el justo medio
adjective
medio
mean life (Fís) vida (f) media
means [miːnz]
noun
1 (with sing vb) (way) manera (f); modo (m); (method) medio (m)
by any means de cualquier manera; del modo que sea; not by any means de ninguna manera or ningún modo; by any means possible como sea/fuera posible; a como dé/diera lugar; (CAm) (Méx) there is no means of doing it no hay manera or modo de hacerlo; by some means or other de alguna manera u otra; de algún modo u otro; by this means de esta manera; de este modo
a means to an end un medio para conseguir algo or un fin
it's just a means to an end
by means of por medio de
it moves by means of a pulley system se mueve por medio de poleas
means of transport medio (m) de transporte
fair
2 (in phrases)
by all means! ¡claro que sí!; ¡por supuesto!
by all means take one por favor toma uno
"is she a friend of yours?" — "by no means" —¿es amiga suya? —de ninguna manera or ningún modo
they're by no means rich no son ricos, ni mucho menos; it is by no means difficult no es nada difícil; by no manner of means en absoluto
3 (with pl vb) (Economics) recursos (m); medios (m)
we haven't the means to do it no contamos con los recursos or los medios para hacerlo
to live beyond one's means vivir por encima de sus posibilidades; gastar más de lo que se gana
a man of means un hombre acaudalado
private means rentas (f) (particulares)
to live within one's means vivir de acuerdo con sus posibilidades
modifier
means test (n) prueba (f) de haberes para determinar si una persona tiene derecho a determinada prestación; (para determinar si una persona tiene derecho a determinada prestación)
means-test
Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Word Roots
Hover on a tile to learn new words with the same root.
Loading roots
Examples
Word Forms
Loading word forms
Machine Translators
Translate to mean using machine translators
See Machine Translations
Conjugations
Participles
Present:
Past:
More Conjugations
Want to Learn Spanish?
Spanish learning for everyone. For free.
Translation
The world’s largest Spanish dictionary
Conjugation
Conjugations for every Spanish verb
Vocabulary
Learn vocabulary faster
Grammar
Learn every rule and exception
Pronunciation
Native-speaker video pronunciations
Word of the Day
la carrera
race
Learn Spanish with Fluencia
Try Fluencia, the Spanish learning program from SpanishDict.
Fun and interactive
Easy to use
Highly effective
Works on any device
Start Learning
report this ad
report this ad
report this ad
Word of the Day
la carrera
Hear an audio pronunciation
SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website.
© Curiosity Media Inc.
FEATURES
TranslationConjugationVocabularyGrammarWord of the Day
ABOUT
About UsPrivacyTermsSite mapHelp
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Facebook
Twitter
APPS
iOS
Android