Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'mean' to define words, explain your intentions, or ask for clarification using the preposition 'by'.
- Use 'mean + noun' to define things: 'Aardvark means a type of animal.'
- Use 'mean + to + verb' for intentions: 'I didn't mean to break it.'
- Use 'mean by' for clarification: 'What do you mean by that?'
Overview
meanという動詞は、B1レベルの学習者にとって非常に重要かつ多機能な単語です。日本語の「意味する」という訳語で覚えている方が多いかもしれませんが、実際には「意図する」「結果として〜になる」「（人にとって）重要である」といった、より深いニュアンスを表現する際に不可欠です。日本語では、文脈に応じて「つまり」「〜という意味だ」「〜するつもりだ」と別の動詞や副詞を使い分けることが多いですが、英語ではmeanという一つの動詞がこれらをカバーしています。このmeanを使いこなせるようになると、単なる事実の伝達を超えて、自分の意図や感情、物事の因果関係をより正確に相手に伝えることができるようになります。日本語の文法構造がSOV（主語・目的語・動詞）であるのに対し、英語はSVOの語順が基本であり、meanはそのSVOの構造の中で、主語と目的語の間に立って両者を結びつける重要な役割を果たします。特に日本人が苦手とする「文脈による意味の変化」を理解する上で、meanは格好の練習材料です。日常のコンビニや電車の移動、職場でのコミュニケーションにおいて、相手の意図を確認したり、自分の考えを補足したりする際にmeanを使えるようになると、英会話の自然さが飛躍的に向上します。本稿では、このmeanの論理的な使い方を、日本語との比較を交えながら徹底的に解説します。meanの使い方は、大きく分けて4つのカテゴリーに分類できます。日本語の文法と比較しながら見ていきましょう。- 1定義や意味（Signification）: 日本語の「〜という意味だ」に相当します。主語には物事や言葉が来ます。
- 例:
What does this sign mean?（この標識はどういう意味ですか？） - 日本語では「〜という意味だ」と名詞で終わらせることが多いですが、英語では
meanという動詞を使って文を構成します。
- 1意図や計画（Intention）: 日本語の「〜するつもりだ」「〜しようと思っていた」に相当します。後ろに
to不定詞を置くのが特徴です。
- 例:
I meant to call you.（電話するつもりでした。） - 日本語の「つもり」という名詞的表現に対し、英語では動詞
mean＋to不定詞で「意図が向かっている」様子を表します。
- 1結果や必然性（Consequence）: 「〜ということを意味する」から転じて「〜という結果になる」という意味です。後ろに動名詞（-ing）を置くことが多いです。
- 例:
Hard work means succeeding.（懸命な努力は成功を意味する＝成功につながる。） - 日本語では「〜ことにつながる」や「〜ということになる」と訳します。
- 1個人的な重要性（Importance）: 「〜にとって大切だ」という感情的な重みを表します。
- 例:
You mean a lot to me.（あなたは私にとってとても大切な存在です。） - 日本語では「大切」「重要」という形容詞を使いますが、英語では
meanを使って「どれだけの重みを持っているか」を動詞で表現します。
mean + Noun/Clause | 定義・象徴 |mean + to + Verb | 意図・計画 |mean + -ing form | 因果関係・必然 |mean + a lot + to | 個人的価値 |meanは不規則動詞です。過去形・過去分詞形がmeantとなる点に注意が必要です。mean | I mean it. |means | It means a lot. |meant | I meant to go. |meant | I have meant to do it. |meaning | What is the meaning? |do/does/didを使用します。- 否定文:
I don't mean to be rude.（失礼なつもりはありません。） - 疑問文:
Do you mean that?（本気で言っていますか？）
meanは以下のような日常の場面で非常に役立ちます。- 1誤解を解く・補足する: 会話の中で「つまり〜ということだ」と言いたい時に
I meanを使います。これは日本語の「というか」「つまり」に相当する便利なフィラーです。 - 2意図を確認する: 相手の言ったことが理解できない時や、相手の意図を探る時に
Do you mean...?を使います。これは、日本語の「それって、〜っていうこと？」という確認のフレーズにぴったりです。 - 3感情を伝える: 大切な人に対して
You mean everything to me.と伝えるのは、非常に自然で強力な表現です。 - 4状況を説明する: 「その決定は、予算の削減を意味する」のように、ビジネスの場面で因果関係を説明する際に
This decision means cutting the budget.と使います。
- 1
meanをisの代わりに使ってしまう:The sky means blue.と言ってしまう間違いです。これは日本語で「空は青いという意味だ」と直訳的に考えてしまうためです。meanは「定義」や「意図」に使うもので、単なる属性（青い、大きい）にはisを使います。 - 2過去形の
meantを忘れる:I mean to call you yesterday.と言ってしまう間違いです。日本語では時制を動詞の語尾（〜した）で表すため、英語の動詞自体の変化を忘れてしまいがちです。過去の意図は必ずmeantにします。 - 3
to不定詞と動名詞の混同:I mean calling you.と言ってしまう間違いです。mean＋to不定詞は「意図（未来志向）」、mean＋動名詞は「結果（必然的な帰結）」という明確な使い分けがあります。日本語には不定詞という概念がないため、この区別が曖昧になりやすいのです。
mean to | 意図・計画 | 未来に向けた個人の意志 |intend to | 意図・計画 | meanより少し硬く、公式な表現 |mean -ing | 結果・必然 | 自然とそうなる因果関係 |result in | 結果 | meanより客観的な因果関係 |I meanは会話でどれくらい使いますか？meantの発音は難しいですか？ment（メンと）と発音します。meanのeaは長母音ですが、meantは短母音になるので注意してください。Do you mean...?以外にありますか？Are you saying that...?という表現もありますが、Do you mean...?の方が相手の意図を確認するニュアンスが強く、日常会話では最も自然です。2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
do not mean
|
don't mean
|
Common
|
|
does not mean
|
doesn't mean
|
Common
|
|
did not mean
|
didn't mean
|
Common
|
Conjugation of the Verb 'Mean'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I/You/We/They
|
mean
|
I mean what I say.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He/She/It
|
means
|
It means a lot.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
meant
|
I meant to call.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
I/You/We/They
|
have meant
|
I have always meant to visit.
|
|
Past Participle
|
All subjects
|
meant
|
It was meant to be.
|
|
Gerund
|
All subjects
|
meaning
|
Meaning well isn't enough.
|
Meanings
The verb 'mean' is used to express the sense of a word, the intention of an actor, or the significance of an event.
Definition/Signification
To have a specific meaning or to represent a concept.
“The red light means you must stop.”
“What does 'ubiquitous' mean?”
Intention
To intend to do something or to have a purpose.
“I meant to call you, but I forgot.”
“She didn't mean to be rude.”
Importance/Value
To have importance or value to someone.
“This ring means a lot to me.”
“Your support means everything.”
Result/Consequence
To result in or involve something as a necessary part.
“Lowering prices means less profit.”
“The new job means moving to London.”
Reference Table
| 意味 | 構造 | 例文 | 状況 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
意味する/定義する
|
`mean` + Noun/Clause
|
What does 'DIY' `mean`?
|
用語の説明
|
|
意図する/計画する
|
`mean to` + Verb
|
I `mean to finish` work early.
|
目的を述べる
|
|
結果となる/伴う
|
`mean` + V-ing/Noun
|
Being late `means missing` the train.
|
結果
|
|
重要である
|
`mean` + Noun + `to` + Person
|
You `mean a lot to` me.
|
価値を伝える
|
|
真剣である
|
`mean it`
|
I `mean it`!
|
真剣さを強調
|
|
過去の意図
|
`meant to` + Verb
|
He `meant to call` you.
|
果たせなかった計画
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
Could you please elaborate on what you mean by 'restructuring'? (Workplace)
What do you mean by 'restructuring'? (Workplace)
What do you mean, 'restructuring'? (Workplace)
WDYM restructuring? (Workplace)
「mean」の様々な意味
意味する/定義する
- What does this word mean? 定義を求める
- Red light means stop. 象徴的な意味
意図する/計画する
- I mean to call you. 意図的な行動
- She didn't mean any harm. 悪意がないこと
結果となる/伴う
- Promotion means more work. 結果
- Being late means missing class. 含意
重要性/価値
- You mean a lot to me. 個人的な重要性
- This opportunity means everything. 高い価値
「Mean to」 vs. 「Mean -ing」の比較
正しい「mean」の使い方の選び方
目的や計画について話していますか？
何かを定義したり、何かが何を意味するかを説明していますか？
行動の結果や影響について議論していますか？
「mean」を使った主要フレーズ
明確化
- • What do you mean?
- • What do you mean by that?
真剣さ
- • I mean it.
- • She means business.
重要性
- • It means a lot.
- • You mean the world to me.
謝罪
- • I didn't mean to...
- • He means no harm.
レベル別の例文
What does this word mean?
What is the definition of this word?
Red means stop.
The color red signifies stopping.
You mean a lot to me.
You are very important to me.
Does this mean yes?
Is this a 'yes'?
I didn't mean to hurt you.
It was not my intention to cause you pain.
He meant to call yesterday.
He intended to call but didn't.
What did she mean by that?
What was her intention with those words?
I meant the other one.
I was referring to the different one.
What do you mean by 'expensive'?
How do you define 'expensive' in this case?
Working here means traveling a lot.
This job involves frequent travel.
I've been meaning to ask you something.
I have intended to ask you for a while.
That's not what I meant at all.
My intention was completely different.
The failure of the pump meant that the whole system crashed.
The pump failure resulted in a system crash.
I didn't mean for this to happen.
I did not intend for this situation to occur.
Do you mean to tell me you lost the keys?
Are you seriously saying you lost them?
By no means is this an easy task.
This is definitely not an easy task.
The gesture was meant as a peace offering.
The intention of the gesture was peace.
I mean, it’s not that I don’t like him, but he’s difficult.
Let me clarify: I like him, but he is hard to work with.
What is meant by 'justice' varies across cultures.
The definition of justice is culturally dependent.
He is a man of considerable means.
He is a very wealthy man.
The end justifies the means.
The result is so important that any method is okay.
It was no mean feat to complete the marathon in under three hours.
It was a very impressive achievement.
The poem's imagery is meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia.
The purpose of the imagery is to create nostalgia.
I mean to say, the implications are staggering.
What I am trying to express is that the results are shocking.
間違えやすい
Both express purpose, but 'intend' is much more formal.
Learners use the noun when they need the verb.
The same word has totally different meanings.
よくある間違い
What means this word?
What does this word mean?
This word is meaning apple.
This word means apple.
It mean a lot.
It means a lot.
What mean 'hello'?
What does 'hello' mean?
I meant call you.
I meant to call you.
I didn't meant it.
I didn't mean it.
He is mean to go.
He means to go.
What do you mean with that?
What do you mean by that?
I've been meaning asking you.
I've been meaning to ask you.
This means to work harder.
This means working harder.
The end justifies the mean.
The end justifies the means.
文型パターン
What does ___ mean?
I didn't mean to ___.
What do you mean by ___?
___ means ___ing.
Real World Usage
WDYM you can't come tonight?
I mean to contribute to the growth of this company.
What do you mean by 'non-refundable'?
You mean the world to me.
Does this word mean the same as 'big'?
The term 'User' shall mean any person accessing the site.
文脈がカギ！
I meant to call you.
「want」の代わりに「mean」を使わないで！
I want a coffee.
「mean to」と「mean -ing」をマスター！
Missing the deadline means losing the client.
「What Do You Mean?」のトーンに注意！
Sorry, what exactly do you mean by that?
Smart Tips
Use 'I didn't mean to' followed by the action. It sounds much more sincere than just saying 'Sorry'.
Don't just say 'What?'. Say 'What does [word] mean?'. It's the hallmark of a proactive learner.
Use 'What do you mean by that?' to pause and get a better explanation.
Use 'mean + -ing' to list the responsibilities. It sounds very professional.
発音
Mean vs Meant
The present tense 'mean' has a long /iː/ sound. The past tense 'meant' changes to a short /e/ sound.
Meaning
The 'ng' at the end is a soft nasal sound, not a hard 'g'.
Clarification Question
What do you mean by ↗THAT?
Rising intonation on the last word shows genuine curiosity or surprise.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Mean what you say, and say what you mean! Use 'to' for plans and 'by' for the way.
視覚的連想
Imagine a dictionary with a heart inside it. The dictionary represents the 'definition' sense, and the heart represents the 'intention' and 'importance' senses.
Rhyme
If you mean to do it, you have a plan. If you mean by it, explain if you can!
Story
A student named Mark didn't 'mean to' spill coffee on a dictionary. He asked the teacher, 'What does 'clumsy' mean?' The teacher said, 'It means you, Mark!' Mark laughed because the teacher 'meant it' as a joke.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write three sentences: one about what a word in your native language means in English, one about something you meant to do today but didn't, and one about what your favorite hobby means to you.
文化メモ
In the UK, 'mean' is very commonly used to mean 'stingy' or 'not generous with money'.
In the US, 'mean' often refers to someone who is 'unfriendly' or 'cruel' in their behavior.
In mathematics and statistics globally, 'mean' refers to the average of a set of numbers.
Derived from the Old English 'mænan', which meant 'to tell, say, or complain'.
会話のきっかけ
What does 'success' mean to you?
Have you ever said something and then had to say 'I didn't mean it'?
What do you mean to do after you finish your English course?
If you could change one thing about your city, what would it mean for the people living there?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
I didn't ___ to hurt your feelings.
Choose the correct sentence:
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesWhat ___ 'ubiquitous' mean?
What do you mean ___ that comment?
Find and fix the mistake:
I didn't meant to break your phone.
It was my intention to help you.
A: We need to talk. B: What do you ___?
1. I mean to go. 2. It means a lot. 3. What does it mean?
mean / what / by / do / you / 'soon' / ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesWhat does 'ubiquitous' ___?
She mean to finish her assignment today.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Lo siento, no quise ofenderte.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the phrases with their primary meaning:
They ___ to meet us at the cafe, but got stuck in traffic.
Having a pet dog means to walk it every day.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella no quiso ser grosera.'
Arrange these words into a question:
Match the tense with the correct form of 'mean':
Score: /12
よくある質問 (8)
No, 'mean' can be an adjective (meaning cruel or stingy) or a noun (meaning the average in math). However, at B1, you mostly use it as a verb.
Yes, that is perfectly correct. It uses the noun `meaning` instead of the verb `mean`. It is slightly more formal.
We use `mean to` for our own intentions. We use `mean for` when we intend something for someone else, e.g., 'I meant for you to have this.'
It is an irregular verb. Many English verbs change their vowel sound in the past tense (like 'keep/kept' or 'sleep/slept').
Not necessarily. It's a natural filler, but if you say it every three words, it can be distracting. Use it to clarify your thoughts.
Yes, especially in the phrase `be meant to`. For example, 'You are meant to be here at 8:00' (meaning you are supposed to be here).
Usually, yes. You mean *something* or you mean *to do something*. The only exception is the idiomatic 'I mean it!'
It is an idiom meaning a very difficult and impressive achievement.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
significar / querer decir
English uses one verb ('mean') where Spanish often switches between two.
signifier / vouloir dire
French 'vouloir dire' literally translates to 'to want to say'.
bedeuten / meinen
German strictly separates 'bedeuten' (objects) from 'meinen' (people).
意味する (imi suru) / つもり (tsumori)
Japanese uses completely different words for definition vs. intention.
يعني (ya'ni)
Arabic 'ya'ni' is used even more frequently as a discourse marker than English 'I mean'.
意思是 (yìsi shì) / 打算 (dǎsuàn)
Chinese requires a noun ('meaning') to express what a word 'means'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
関連動画
Related Grammar Rules
句動詞「Face up to」（現実を受け入れる）
Overview この句動詞は、回避から承認への心の変化を意味します。具体的には、困難で不快なこと、あるいは少し恥ずかしいことを...
時の前置詞：in, on, at の使い方
### Overview 英語の学習において、`in`、`on`、`at`という3つの前置詞は、避けては通れない非常に重要なステップです。日本語...
句動詞: Take off (脱ぐ・出発する)
### Overview 英語のフレーズ動詞（Phrasal Verbs）は、ネイティブスピーカーが日常会話で頻繁に使う、非常に重要な要素です。B...
ちょっと待って！「Hold on」を使う
### Overview 英語学習において、`hold on` は非常に頻繁に使われるフレーズですが、日本語にはこれと完全に一致する単語がない...
着飾る：フォーマルウェアとコスチューム (Dress up)
### Overview 英語の学習において、句動詞（Phrasal Verbs）は避けて通れない壁であり、同時に表現の幅を大きく広げてくれる鍵...
