-다는 뜻이다
express what a statement means
Form
Reported clause + 뜻이다 — “that means (that)…”, “it means (that)…”.
Function
Presents a clause as the meaning, implication or interpretation of information. The reported clause can describe past, present or future facts; its ending varies with the predicate and tense.
Why this form?
-다는 말이다 — “that means (that)…”: more directly rephrases a statement or conclusion; -다는 뜻이다 emphasizes the meaning inferred from it. They are often interchangeable when interpreting information.
-다는 의미이다 — “that means (that)…”: also highlights meaning, in a more explicit and often more formal formulation; both can convey the same interpretation.
의미하다 — “to mean”: a lexical verb directly linking something to its meaning; interpreting a whole proposition more naturally uses a reporting structure such as -다는 뜻이다.
Training
Forms That Should Not Be Confused
- -다는 말이다
그건 내일 출발한다는 말이에요. — That means we're leaving tomorrow.
2. -다는 의미이다
이 수치는 문제가 심각하다는 의미예요. — This figure indicates that the problem is serious.
3. 의미하다
이 표시는 위험을 의미해요. — This sign means "danger" ».
Examples
그럼 저희가 정말 여기 환자였다는 뜻이군요. — So that means we were really patients here.
문이 잠겼다는 뜻이에요. — This means the door is locked.