意味着...
Reach for this when one fact carries a heavier consequence behind it — 'X means Y,' 'X implies Y.' Use 意味着 to draw the inference, not the literal meaning of a word. A higher register than 是 or 表示 — common in news commentary, academic writing, business analysis, and any context where a speaker is unpacking what a piece of data or event actually signifies. In speech it sounds analytical, even a bit weighty; you wouldn't use it for trivial observations.
Structure
Subject/Clause + 意味着 + Clause/Noun phrase
yì wèi zhe
How to Think About It
意味着 is the inference verb — it points from a fact to what that fact implies. Use 是 when the two things are the same ('this is a phone'); use 意味着 when one thing leads you to conclude another ('this delay means we'll miss the deadline'). It's the Chinese equivalent of 'this means that...' in an analytical sentence. The subject can be a noun, but it's often a whole clause naming a situation.
Examples
这个结果意味着我们的努力没有白费。
Zhège jiéguǒ yìwèizhe wǒmen de nǔlì méiyǒu báifèi.
This result means our efforts weren't wasted.
房价上涨意味着年轻人更难买房。
Fángjià shàngzhǎng yìwèizhe niánqīngrén gèng nán mǎi fáng.
Rising housing prices mean young people will have a harder time buying homes.
他没回我的信息，这意味着什么？
Tā méi huí wǒ de xìnxī, zhè yìwèizhe shénme?
He didn't reply to my message — what does that mean?
签了合同意味着你必须遵守条款。
Qiānle hétong yìwèizhe nǐ bìxū zūnshǒu tiáokuǎn.
Signing the contract means you have to follow its terms.
Common Mistake
Learners reach for 是 ('is') when they want to say 'X means Y.' 是 makes the two things equivalent; 意味着 says one signals the other. Using 是 here turns an inference into a flat identity claim that doesn't make sense.
失业率上升是经济变差。
失业率上升意味着经济变差。
Don't Confuse With
表示
'Express' or 'indicate' — used when someone or a sign deliberately signals something ('he expressed his thanks'). 意味着 draws an analytical inference; 表示 reports an expression or signal.
的意思是
Asks/answers the literal meaning of a word or phrase ('this word means...'). Use 意味着 for the consequence of a situation, not the dictionary definition of a term.
说明
'Shows that' or 'demonstrates that' — leans evidential, like a fact proving a point. 意味着 leans implicational, pointing at downstream consequences.
Practice
Fill in: 收到面试通知 ___ 你有机会了。
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意味着
Translate to Chinese: His silence means he doesn't agree.
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他的沉默意味着他不同意。
Arrange: 意味着 / 一个 / 新 / 这 / 开始
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这意味着一个新开始。
Use 意味着 to draw an inference from a piece of news.
Show answer
油价上涨意味着出行成本会变高。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 意味着... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.