Signification
Asking for the definition of something.
Contexte culturel
Dutch people are famously direct. Asking 'Wat betekent dit?' in the middle of a conversation is not seen as rude, but as a sign that you are paying attention. Flemish Dutch tends to be slightly more formal. You might hear 'Wat wil dat zeggen?' more often than in the Netherlands. On Dutch social media, 'Wat betekent dit?' is often used as a meme caption when someone posts something bizarre or unexplainable. In Dutch universities, 'betekenisgeving' (giving meaning) is a common topic in social sciences, emphasizing how people interpret the world.
Use 'in het Engels'
Add 'in het Engels' to the end to get a quick translation: 'Wat betekent dit in het Engels?'
Dit vs Dat
Use 'dit' for things in your hand or right in front of you. Use 'dat' for things further away.
Signification
Asking for the definition of something.
Use 'in het Engels'
Add 'in het Engels' to the end to get a quick translation: 'Wat betekent dit in het Engels?'
Dit vs Dat
Use 'dit' for things in your hand or right in front of you. Use 'dat' for things further away.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing verb in the correct form.
Wat ______ dit woord? (betekenen)
Since 'dit woord' is singular, we add a 't' to the stem 'beteken'.
Which phrase is used to ask about a person's intention?
If a friend says something confusing, you ask:
'Wat bedoel je?' is for people's thoughts; 'Wat betekent dit?' is for definitions.
Match the Dutch phrase to its English equivalent.
Match the following:
All pairs are correctly matched in the options provided.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesWat ______ dit woord? (betekenen)
Since 'dit woord' is singular, we add a 't' to the stem 'beteken'.
If a friend says something confusing, you ask:
'Wat bedoel je?' is for people's thoughts; 'Wat betekent dit?' is for definitions.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
All pairs are correctly matched in the options provided.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
2 questionsYes, if someone does something strange, you can ask 'Wat betekent dit?' to ask what their behavior implies.
In the question 'Wat betekent dit?', it is always with a 't' because it is the present tense.
Expressions liées
Wat bedoel je?
similarWhat do you mean?
Wat houdt dat in?
specialized formWhat does that entail?
Hoe zeg je...?
contrastHow do you say...?
