...意味着什么
Use this when you want to dramatize the stakes of something — 'what does X mean?' — usually rhetorically, with no actual question. The speaker is teeing up the listener to think about the consequences before being told. Common in news, op-eds, podcasts, and any moment where you want to slow down and make the audience feel the weight of what's being discussed. The phrase ends with 什么 and a question mark, but the speaker plans to answer it themselves.
Structure
[SITUATION] 意味着什么?
...yìwèi zhe shénme
How to Think About It
意味 means 'to signify / imply.' 着 marks the ongoing implication. 什么 turns it into 'what does this signify?' — but the convention is that the speaker is about to spell out the answer. Compare to English news prose: 'What does a $200 barrel of oil mean? It means...' The rhetorical question is a setup move; the real point lands in the next sentence.
Examples
这个数字意味着什么?
Zhège shùzì yìwèi zhe shénme?
What does this number mean?
失业率上升意味着什么?
Shīyè lǜ shàngshēng yìwèi zhe shénme?
What does a rising unemployment rate mean?
对中国的年轻人来说, 这个变化意味着什么?
Duì Zhōngguó de niánqīng rén lái shuō, zhège biànhuà yìwèi zhe shénme?
For young Chinese people, what does this change mean?
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 着 and write 意味什么, which feels grammatically incomplete to native ears. The 着 is mandatory in this construction — 意味着 is treated as a fixed verb compound. Without it, the sentence sounds off.
这意味什么?
这意味着什么?
Don't Confuse With
...是什么意思
Asks what a word or phrase MEANS literally (definition). 意味着什么 asks what something IMPLIES for the future / consequences.
...有什么影响
'What impact does it have?' — also asks about consequences but more concrete and outcome-focused. 意味着什么 is broader, more reflective.
...代表什么
'Represents / stands for what?' — used for symbolic meaning (flag, gesture, name). 意味着什么 is about implications and consequences, not symbolism.
Practice
这意味 ____ 什么?
Show answer
着
这个决定意味着 ____ ?
Show answer
什么
Arrange: 意味着 / 这 / 什么 / ?
Show answer
这意味着什么?
Translate: What does this news mean for us?
Show answer
这个消息对我们意味着什么?
Write a rhetorical question using ...意味着什么 and then answer it yourself.
Show answer
AI 写文章意味着什么? 意味着我们要学会更有创意地工作。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: