Meant to Meaning in English
expression · lemma: mean to
ˈmɛnt/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ
MENT-tuh, MENT-uh, MENT-ti
mˈɛnt/ /tˈuː
MENT-too
Definition
'Meant to' is used to say what someone intended to do, or what is supposed or expected to happen.
Usage & Nuances
'Meant to' is informal and common in spoken English. It's often used to explain intentions, plans, or expectations—'I was meant to call you' means 'I intended to call you.' Often used in negative, 'I wasn't meant to,' or questions, 'Was I meant to bring something?' Don't confuse with 'mean' as 'signify.'
Spanish: destinado a - se supone que - quería (hacer algo)Portuguese (BR): era para - pretendia - deveria (fazer algo)Portuguese (PT): era para - pretendia - deveria (fazer algo)Chinese (Simplified): 本来要 - 应该Chinese (Traditional): 本來要 - 應該Hindi: का इरादा था - होना चाहिएArabic: كان من المفترض أن - كان يقصدBengali: ইচ্ছা ছিল - উদ্দেশ্য ছিল - হওয়ার কথা ছিলRussian: намеревался - должен был - предназначенJapanese: つもりだった - するはずだった - 意図されているVietnamese: định - dự định - được cho làKorean: 의도했다 - 하기로 되어 있다 - 기대되다Turkish: niyet etmek - amaçlamak - olması gerekUrdu: ارادہ تھا - مقصود تھا - ہونا تھاIndonesian: bermaksud - seharusnya - dimaksudkan
Example Sentences
I meant to call you yesterday, but I forgot.
basic
This gift is meant to make you happy.
basic
We were meant to meet at 5 o'clock.
basic
This movie isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
natural
Sorry, I wasn't meant to upset you.
natural
Are you meant to be here, or is this a mistake?
natural