From Middle High German *bedeuten*, a compound of the intensifying prefix *be-* and *deuten* ("to point, to indicate, to interpret"), which derives from Old High German *tiuten*, related to the Proto-Germanic root *þiudanaz* ("people, nation") — the underlying sense being "to make clear to people." Cognate with English *tidy* and *Dutch* at their root.

Germans use *bedeuten* in both concrete ("What does this sign mean?") and deeply emotional contexts ("Das bedeutet mir viel" — "That means a lot to me"). Don't confuse it with *meinen*, which refers to personal opinion ("I think / I mean to say"). A classic learner false step is translating "I mean…" as "Ich bedeute…" — that's wrong; use *Ich meine…* for opinions and *Das bedeutet…* for definitions.