A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "What does that mean" in Italian
Ask for clarification in Italian with 'Cosa significa?' – the polite way to say 'What does that mean?'.
Cosa significa?
KOH-sah seeg-NEE-fee-kahneutral
Italian TTS · 0:01
Use this when you hear a word or phrase you don't understand, or when someone says something that's unclear. It's a direct but polite way to ask for an explanation.
Alternatives
- Che vuol dire?Slightly more common in everyday speech, especially in informal settings.
- Cosa vuol dire?Another very common and slightly more informal alternative.
Ways to get it wrong
Confusing 'significa' with 'signify'
While similar, 'significa' is the direct Italian verb for 'means', not a direct cognate for 'signify' in all contexts.
Incorrect stress on 'significa'
The stress is on the 'NEE' syllable: see-GNEE-fee-kah, not see-nee-FEE-kah.
A small cultural note
Italians appreciate when you try to understand, so don't hesitate to use this phrase. Asking for clarification shows engagement.
When you'd actually say this
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Mechanic uses unfamiliar technical term
You're at a garage in Bologna and the mechanic hands you a printed estimate, pointing to a line that reads 'revisione della distribuzione.' You've been following the conversation reasonably well, but this phrase stopped you cold. You tap the paper and ask, 'Cosa significa?' before agreeing to anything.
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Landlord explains lease clause
You're sitting at a kitchen table in your new apartment in Turin, going through a rental contract with your landlord. She says something about 'spese condominiali' and keeps moving on. You put your hand up gently and say 'Cosa significa?' because you need to know what you're actually agreeing to pay.
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Friend's joke lands strangely
You're at a dinner in Naples with a group of your Italian colleague's friends, and someone makes a joke that gets a big laugh. You caught most of the words but the punchline used a term you've never heard. You turn to the person next to you, lower your voice, and ask 'Cosa significa?' while the laughter is still going.
Related ways to say it in Italian
- Cosa significa esattamente? — What does that mean exactly?
- Use this when you've heard a partial explanation but it still isn't clear — the word 'esattamente' signals you want precision, not just a rough gloss.
- In che senso? — In what sense? / What do you mean by that?
- Use this when the word itself is familiar but the way someone used it is ambiguous or surprising — it questions intent rather than vocabulary.
- Non capisco il significato. — I don't understand the meaning.
- More of a statement than a question; suits written contexts like reading a document or a text message, where you're explaining your confusion rather than asking on the spot.
- Puoi spiegarmi cosa significa? — Can you explain to me what that means?
- Slightly more formal and patient in tone; appropriate when you expect a longer explanation, such as with a teacher, doctor, or official.
Notes for English speakers
- English speakers often want to insert 'questo' to say 'what does this mean,' producing 'Cosa significa questo?' — grammatically fine, but in spoken Italian the standalone 'Cosa significa?' is far more natural and doesn't sound incomplete the way 'What does mean?' would in English.
- The double 'gn' in 'significa' produces a palatal nasal sound — similar to the 'ny' in 'canyon' — which English doesn't have as a standalone consonant cluster; saying a hard 'g' followed by 'n' instead will make the word sound foreign and can briefly confuse listeners.
- 'Cosa' literally means 'thing,' so the phrase is closer to 'What does this thing signify?' than to a word-for-word match with 'What does that mean?' — this matters because in some contexts Italians use 'cosa' where English speakers might expect 'che,' and mixing them up can occasionally produce an awkward register shift.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How do I ask what something means in Italian?
The most common way is 'Cosa significa?'. You can also use 'Che vuol dire?' which is very similar.
Is 'Cosa significa?' formal or informal?
It's a neutral phrase that works in most situations. For very formal settings, you might consider adding 'Scusi' before it.
What if I don't understand a whole sentence?
You can still use 'Cosa significa?' to ask what a specific word or the whole idea means. Alternatively, you could say 'Non ho capito' (I didn't understand).
How do you ask what a word means in Italian?
To ask what a word means, you can say "Cosa significa questa parola?" which translates to "What does this word mean?".
What does 'che' mean in Italian?
'Che' is a very common Italian word that can mean 'what', 'that', or 'which', depending on the context.
What does 'piacere' mean in Italian?
'Piacere' means 'to like' or 'to please', and is often used in phrases like 'mi piace' (I like it).
