Log inSign up

¿Qué significa eso?

¿Qué significa eso?
What does that mean?
From Lesson 21:What and who (qué, quién)·Spanish (Latin America)

Breakdown of ¿Qué significa eso?

qué
what
eso
that (neuter)
significar
to mean

Questions & Answers about ¿Qué significa eso?

Why does qué have an accent mark over the 'e'?
In Spanish, all question words (like qué, quién, and cómo) always have an accent mark. This shows it is being used to ask a question, helping to tell it apart from the same word used in regular statements. Here, qué means 'what', so it needs the accent!
Where is the word for 'does' in this question?
Spanish doesn't use helper words like 'do' or 'does' to make questions! Instead, you just use the main verb (significa) and frame it as a question using upside-down and regular question marks. So, ¿Qué significa eso? translates literally to 'What means that?'.
Why do we use eso for 'that' instead of ese or esa?
Ese (masculine) and esa (feminine) are used when you are pointing out a specific noun, like 'that book' or 'that table'. We use the neutral word eso when we are talking about a general idea, a statement, or a word we don't know the meaning of yet. Since you are asking what an unknown thing means, eso is the perfect word to use.
Why does the verb significa end in an 'a'?
It comes from the verb significar (to mean). The subject of this sentence is eso (that). Since eso acts like 'it' (a third-person singular subject), we use the matching present tense ending for regular '-ar' verbs, which is -a.

Learn ¿Qué significa eso and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →