Usage of どういう意味


It seems strange to me that in Japanese the preferable question is どういう意味
while in English we ask "what is its meaning", rather than, "how do you say
it's meaning." Although you can ask 何とかの意味は何、 can you say 何とかはどういう意味？ This
statement of making meanings how's and not what's is difficult for me to
understand. Any suggestions?




こういう、そういう、ああいう and どういう are pretty much fixed constructions with meanings
similar to こんな、そんな、あんな and どんな. They're not limited to 意味. For example, you
can say

> どういう家に住んでるの？  
>  What kind of house do you live in?




こういう、そういう、ああいう and どういう are pretty much fixed constructions with meanings
similar to こんな、そんな、あんな and どんな. They're not limited to 意味. For example, you
can say

> どういう家に住んでるの？  
>  What kind of house do you live in?

