зна́чит vs получа́ется
znachit vs poluchaetsya — that means/so vs it turns out/works
Register: neutral
What it really means
Зна́чит is a discourse marker meaning “that means,” “so,” or “therefore.” It explicitly draws a logical conclusion from information just mentioned: Ты занят? Зна́чит, встретимся завтра. It can also be the third-person form of значи́ть, “to mean,” as in Что э́то зна́чит?
Получа́ется can also introduce a conclusion, but it sounds more like “it turns out,” “so it follows,” or “the result is.” Outside discourse, it describes how an object, plan, or attempt turns out or works. Thus зна́чит foregrounds meaning or logic, while получа́ется foregrounds an emerging result or inference.
Examples in natural speech
Ты уже купил билет? Зна́чит, мы едем.
You have already bought the ticket? So we are going.
Что зна́чит это слово?
What does this word mean?
Они уехали, получа́ется, встречу отменили.
They left, so it turns out the meeting was cancelled.
Получа́ется, мы ошиблись в расчётах.
It turns out that we made a mistake in the calculations.
У него отлично получа́ется готовить.
He is excellent at cooking.
Common mistakes
Do not replace every instance of зна́чит with получа́ется: Что э́то зна́чит? asks for meaning, not an outcome. Conversely, use получа́ться for a task or dish that turns out well; зна́чит cannot describe that result. As a discourse marker, зна́чит is stressed on the first syllable: зна́чит.
Memory tip
Зна́чит says what the facts mean; получа́ется says what the facts or effort result in.
Frequently asked questions
Is зна́чит always a verb?
No. As a discourse marker it means “so/that means”; as a verb, значи́ть means “to mean” and changes with its subject.
Can получа́ется mean “therefore”?
Yes, in conversational reasoning: Получа́ется, ты был прав means “So it turns out you were right.”
What does У меня получа́ется mean without an infinitive?
It usually means “I’m managing” or “it is working out for me,” with the activity understood from context.
Note: This site uses JavaScript for interactive drills, audio playback, and progress tracking. Please enable JavaScript for the full experience.