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想 . In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
想 , but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
想 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
想 you have here. The definition of the word
想 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
想 , as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
Stroke order
Stroke order
Han character
想 (Kangxi radical 61, 心 +9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 木山心 (DUP ), four-corner 46330 , composition ⿱相 心 )
Derived characters
References
Kangxi Dictionary: page 392 , character 26
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10858
Dae Jaweon: page 728, character 10
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2320, character 11
Unihan data for U+60F3
Chinese
Glyph origin
Old Chinese
相
*slaŋ, *slaŋs
廂
*slaŋ
湘
*slaŋ
緗
*slaŋ
箱
*slaŋ
葙
*slaŋ
想
*slaŋʔ
霜
*sraŋ
孀
*sraŋ
鸘
*sraŋ
驦
*sraŋ
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声 , OC *slaŋʔ ) : phonetic 相 ( OC *slaŋ, *slaŋs) + semantic 心 ( “ heart, mind ” ) – to think, to consider. The phonetic component has a reference as well to the act of thinking, hence "visualizing" in one's own mind.
Etymology
From 相 (OC *slaŋ, *slaŋs , “to observe; appearance”) (“appearance > to visualise > to think”).
Pronunciation
Mandarin
(Standard )
(Pinyin ) : xiǎng (xiang3 )
(Zhuyin ) : ㄒㄧㄤˇ
(Chengdu , Sichuanese Pinyin ) : xiang3
(Dungan , Cyrillic and Wiktionary ) : щён (xi͡on, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou –Hong Kong , Jyutping ) : soeng2
(Taishan , Wiktionary ) : lhiang2
Gan (Wiktionary ) : xiong3
Hakka
(Sixian , PFS ) : sióng
(Meixian , Guangdong ) : xiong3
Jin (Wiktionary ) : xion2
Northern Min (KCR ) : siǒ̤ng
Eastern Min (BUC ) : siōng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing ): syong3 / syeng3
Southern Min
(Hokkien , POJ ) : siūⁿ / siǔⁿ / siōⁿ / siāuⁿ / sióng / siáng
(Teochew , Peng'im ) : siên6 / sion6 / siang2
Wu (Shanghai , Wugniu ) : 5 shian
Xiang (Changsha , Wiktionary ) : sian3
Mandarin
Cantonese
Gan
Hakka
Jin
Northern Min
Eastern Min
Puxian Min
Southern Min
(Hokkien : Xiamen , Taipei , Kaohsiung , Sanxia , Yilan , Kinmen , Magong , Hsinchu , Taichung )
(Hokkien : Quanzhou , Lukang , Philippines )
(Hokkien : Zhangzhou , Tainan , Medan )
(Hokkien : Penang )
(Hokkien : Xiamen , Quanzhou , General Taiwanese )
(Hokkien : Zhangzhou )
Note :
siūⁿ/siǔⁿ/siōⁿ - vernacular;
sióng/siáng - literary.
Note :
siên6/sion6 - vernacular (siên6 - Chaozhou);
siang2 - literary.
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
想
Reading #
1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
xiǎng
Middle Chinese
‹ sjangX ›
Old Chinese
/*aŋʔ/
English
think
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character
想
Reading #
1/1
No.
13585
Phonetic component
相
Rime group
陽
Rime subdivision
0
Corresponding MC rime
想
Old Chinese
/*slaŋʔ/
Definitions
想
to think ( to conceive of something or someone )
你 想 多 了 吧 ! ― Nǐ xiǎng duō le ba! ― You've overthought this!; You've read too much into this!
我 想 她 是 衰老 了 。 [MSC , trad. and simp. ] Wǒ xiǎng tā shì shuāilǎo le. I think she's going senile.
to think about; to plan ; to be considering
我 想 在 暑假 打工 。 [MSC , trad. and simp. ] Wǒ xiǎng zài shǔjià dǎgōng. I'm planning to get a job for the summer.
to think ; to suppose ; to guess ; to reckon
我 想 我 能 給 你 找 到 合適 的 尺碼 。 [MSC , trad. ] 我 想 我 能 给 你 找 到 合适 的 尺码 。 [MSC , simp. ] Wǒ xiǎng wǒ néng gěi nǐ zhǎo dào héshì de chǐmǎ. I think I can find the right size for you.
to want ; to wish for; to desire
還 想 喝 一 杯 嗎 ?/ 还 想 喝 一 杯 吗 ? ― Hái xiǎng hē yī bēi ma? ― Would you like another drink?
她 想 當 芭蕾舞 演員 。 [MSC , trad. ] 她 想 当 芭蕾舞 演员 。 [MSC , simp. ] Tā xiǎng dāng bālěiwǔ yǎnyuán. She wants to be a ballet dancer.
我 很 想 睡 。 ― Wǒ hěn xiǎng shuì. ― I'm really sleepy (lit. I really want to sleep.)
睇 到 唔 想 睇 [Cantonese ] ― tai2 dou3 m4 soeng2 tai2 ― watched so much that one doesn't want to watch any more
to miss ( to feel the absence of someone or something )
你 走 了 我 會 想 你 的 。 [MSC , trad. ] 你 走 了 我 会 想 你 的 。 [MSC , simp. ] Nǐ zǒu le wǒ huì xiǎng nǐ de. I'll miss you when you're gone.
to resemble
雲 想 衣裳 花 想 容 [Classical Chinese , trad. ] 云 想 衣裳 花 想 容 [Classical Chinese , simp. ] From: 李白《清平調》 yún xiǎng yīshang huā xiǎng róng Clouds look like her clothes, flowers look like her face.
( Hinduism , Buddhism ) sanskara
Usage notes
In the sense of want or desire, 想 (xiǎng ) is also used as would like . It also appears together with 要 (yào ) as 想要 (xiǎngyào ) to mean "would like".
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
想 (“to think”)
Dialectal synonyms of
要 (“to want (to do something)”)
Variety
Location
Words
Classical Chinese
欲1
Formal (Written Standard Chinese )
要 , 欲1
Northeastern Mandarin
Beijing
要
Taiwan
要 , 想
Malaysia
要
Singapore
要
Jilu Mandarin
Jinan
要
Central Plains Mandarin
Xi'an
要
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
要
Southwestern Mandarin
Chengdu
要
Wuhan
要
Guilin
要
Jianghuai Mandarin
Yangzhou
要
Hefei
要
Cantonese
Guangzhou
要 , 想
Hong Kong
要 , 想
Shenzhen (Dapeng)
愛
Yangjiang
愛
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
要 , 想 , 愛
Singapore (Guangfu)
要 , 想
Gan
Nanchang
要
Hakka
Meixian
愛
Longmen (Luxi; Bendihua)
愛
Wuhua (Meilin)
愛
Zijin
愛
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
愛
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
愛
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
愛
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
愛
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
愛
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
愛 , 討
Kuching (Hepo)
愛
Jin
Taiyuan
要
Northern Min
Jian'ou
讓
Eastern Min
Fuzhou
欲3
Southern Min
Xiamen
欲3
Quanzhou
欲3
Jinjiang
欲3
Zhangzhou
欲3
Taipei
欲3
New Taipei (Sanxia)
欲3
Kaohsiung
欲3
Yilan
欲3
Changhua (Lukang)
欲3
Taichung
欲3
Tainan
欲3
Hsinchu
欲3
Kinmen
欲3
Penghu (Magong)
欲3
Penang (Hokkien)
愛
Singapore (Hokkien)
愛 , 欲3
Manila (Hokkien)
欲3 , 愛
Medan (Hokkien)
愛
Chaozhou
愛
Shantou
愛
Haifeng
愛
Singapore (Teochew)
愛
Wenchang
欲3
Qionghai
欲3
Singapore (Hainanese)
欲3
Wu
Shanghai
要
Suzhou
要
Wenzhou
愛
Lishui
樂
Xiang
Changsha
要
Shuangfeng
要
Dialectal synonyms of
想念 (“to miss; to think of; to yearn for”)
Variety
Location
Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese )
想念 , 思念 , 掛念 , 惦念 , 懷念
Northeastern Mandarin
Taiwan
想念 , 想
Singapore
想念 , 想
Cantonese
Guangzhou
掛住 , 掛望
Hong Kong
掛住
Singapore (Guangfu)
掛住
Southern Min
Xiamen
數念 , 心念
Xiamen (Tong'an)
數念
Quanzhou
數念 , 心念
Zhangzhou
數念 , 心念
Tainan
想 , 數念 , 思念
Penang (Hokkien)
數念
Singapore (Hokkien)
數念
Manila (Hokkien)
數念
Singapore (Teochew)
思念
Wenchang
想念
Puxian Min
Putian
算
Wu
Shanghai
想 , 牽記 , 想念 somewhat literary
Suzhou
牽記
Ningbo
忖
Jinhua
想 , 忖
Compounds
Descendants
Further reading
“Entry #9451 ”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi ] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C. , 2024 .
莆田市政协文化文史和学习委员会 , editor (2021 ), “想 ”, in 莆仙方言大词典 [Comprehensive Dictionary of Puxian Dialect ] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press , →ISBN , page 518 .
Japanese
Kanji
想
(Third grade kyōiku kanji )
thought , idea , concept
Readings
Go-on : そう ( sō , Jōyō ) ←さう ( sau , historical )
Kan-on : しょう ( shō ) ←しやう ( syau , historical )
Kan’yō-on : そ ( so , Jōyō † )
Kun : おもい ( omo i , 想い ) ←おもひ ( omo fi , 想ひ , historical ) 、おもう ( omo u , 想う ) ←おもふ ( omo fu , 想ふ , historical )
Korean
Hanja
想 (eumhun 생각 상 ( saenggak sang ) )
hanja form? of 상 ( “ idea , thought ” )
Vietnamese
Han character
想 : Hán Nôm readings: tưởng
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