Mean means meaning

Разбираемся в словах, которые похожи по написанию, но различны по произношению и употреблению. Итак, рассмотрим Mean means meaning — в чем разница?

Содержание записи:

Mean means meaning

Mean [miːn]

У этого слова несколько основных ролей.

Глагол («иметь в виду», «означать», «намереваться»).
Это самая частая функция.
What do you mean? — Что ты имеешь в виду?
This word means “friend”. — Это слово означает «друг».
I didn’t mean to hurt you. — Я не хотел тебя обидеть.
Прилагательное («подлый», «жадный», «суровый», «низкий»).
Часто про характер или отношение.
He can be really mean sometimes. — Иногда он бывает очень подлым/злым.
Don’t be mean to the puppy! — Не будь злым к щенку!
Существительное в статистике («среднее значение»).
The mean of these numbers is 10. — Среднее значение этих чисел равно 10.
В устойчивых выражениях.
By all means — конечно, непременно.
No means no — «нет» значит «нет».

Means [miːnz]

Чаще всего это:

Существительное во множественном числе от mean (но форма совпадает с 3‑м лицом ед. числа глагола mean). В значении «способ», «средство», «ресурсы».
Важно: means уже множественное, но согласуется с глаголом как с единственным или множественным в зависимости от смысла. Часто говорят a means (один способ) и various means (разные способы).
We need to find a means to solve this. — Нам нужно найти способ решить это.
They used all available means. — Они использовали все доступные средства.
3‑е лицо ед. числа от глагола mean (he/she/it means).
It means a lot to me. — Это много для меня значит.
Здесь means — это не «средства», а «значит» (от mean).

Meaning [ˈmiːnɪŋ]

Это существительное («значение», «смысл»).

What’s the meaning of this word? — Каково значение этого слова?
The meaning of the poem is open to interpretation. — Смысл стихотворения можно трактовать по‑разному.

Также meaning — это форма глагола mean с ‑ing (герундий/причастие).
She left without meaning to. — Она ушла, не имея такого намерения.

Упражнения на тему — Mean means meaning

Упражнение 1. Вставьте mean, means или meaning в предложения:

What does this symbol mean? 2. He was so mean to his little brother — he wouldn’t even share a cookie. 3. By all means, you can borrow my notes for the exam. 4. We need to find a means of transport to get to the village. 5. The meaning of the word “ambiguous” is not clear to me yet. 6. She didn’t mean to interrupt you; she just got too excited. 7. His silence means more than any long speech ever could. 8. They used every means possible to fix the broken bridge. 9. I don’t get the meaning of this joke — can you explain it? 10. It’s not fair to be mean just because you’re having a bad day.
Упражнение 2. Раскройте скобки, поставив mean, means или meaning в нужную форму:

When she says “fine”, it usually means that she’s actually upset. 2. This old phrase has a special meaning in our family — we use it when someone needs encouragement. 3. He’s such a mean boss: he never praises anyone and always finds something to criticize. 4. The only means we have to cross the river is this small wooden bridge. 5. I never meant to hurt your feelings — I was just being honest. 6. What’s the meaning of the Latin word written above the door? 7. By all means, feel free to ask for help if you get stuck. 8. Their actions mean more than their words — they really care about the project. 9. We explored all available means to solve the problem before giving up. 10. Don’t be mean to the new student — remember how nervous you were on your first day.

Ответы

Упражнение 1: 1. What does this symbol mean? 2. He was so mean to his little brother — he wouldn’t even share a cookie. 3. By all means, you can borrow my notes for the exam. 4. We need to find a means of transport to get to the village. 5. The meaning of the word “ambiguous” is not clear to me yet. 6. She didn’t mean to interrupt you; she just got too excited. 7. His silence means more than any long speech ever could. 8. They used every means possible to fix the broken bridge. 9. I don’t get the meaning of this joke — can you explain it? 10. It’s not fair to be mean just because you’re having a bad day.

Упражнение 2: 1. When she says “fine”, it usually means that she’s actually upset. 2. This old phrase has a special meaning in our family — we use it when someone needs encouragement. 3. He’s such a mean boss: he never praises anyone and always finds something to criticize. 4. The only means we have to cross the river is this small wooden bridge. 5. I never meant to hurt your feelings — I was just being honest. 6. What’s the meaning of the Latin word written above the door? 7. By all means, feel free to ask for help if you get stuck. 8. Their actions mean more than their words — they really care about the project. 9. We explored all available means to solve the problem before giving up. 10. Don’t be mean to the new student — remember how nervous you were on your first day.