Dictionary › 念

念

niàn

HSK 5 Character Measure word 顿

What 念 means

1. to read
2. to study (a subject)
3. to attend (a school)
4. to read aloud
5. to give (sb) a tongue-lashing
6. to miss (sb)
7. idea
8. remembrance
9. twenty (banker's anti-fraud numeral corresponding to {廿|niàn})

Other readings

念 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• niànvariant of {念|niàn}, to read aloud

Example sentences

• 念这个。
  Read this.
• 有信念。
  Have faith.
• 我想念你。
  I miss you.
• 我想念他。
  I miss him.
• 好怀念啊。
  Ah, that reminds me of the old days!
• 别再念了。
  Stop reading.

Words starting with 念

• 念头niàn touthought; idea; intention
• 念书niàn shūto read; to study; to attend school
• 念佛niàn fóto pray to Buddha; to chant the names of Buddha
• 念叨niàn daoto talk about often; to reminisce about; to keep repeating
• 念念不忘niàn niàn bù wàngto keep in mind constantly (idiom)
• 念经niàn jīngto recite or chant Buddhist scripture
• 念念有词niàn niàn yǒu cíto mumble; to mutter to oneself
• 念咒niàn zhòuto chant a magic spell; to recite incantations
• 念珠niàn zhūprayer beads; rosary; rosary beads
• 念诵niàn sòngto read out; to recite; to remember sb (while talking about sth else)
• 念力niàn lìpsychokinesis; telekinesis
• 念想niàn xiǎngto miss (the presence of); to cherish the memory of; aspiration; desire…
• 念日niàn rìmemorial day; commemoration day
• 念学位niàn xué wèito study for a degree; to take a degree course
• 念想儿niàn xiang r(colloquial) keepsake; memento; (colloquial) impression (of sb or sth in one's mind)
• 念旧niàn jiùto remember old friends; to cherish old friendships; for old time's sake
• 念珠菌症niàn zhū jūn zhèng(medicine) candidiasis; thrush
• 念兹在兹niàn zī zài zīsee 念念不忘

Words containing 念

• 概念gài niànconcept; idea
• 观念guān niànnotion; thought; concept
• 纪念jì niànto commemorate; to honor the memory of; memento; keepsake; souvenir
• 怀念huái niànto cherish the memory of; to think of; to reminisce
• 想念xiǎng niànto miss; to remember with longing; to long to see again
• 思念sī niànto think of; to long for; to miss
• 信念xìn niànfaith; belief; conviction
• 留念liú niànto keep as a souvenir; to recall fondly
• 悬念xuán niànsuspense in a movie, play etc; concern for sb's welfare
• 理念lǐ niànidea; concept; philosophy
• 纪念碑jì niàn bēimonument
• 纪念品jì niàn pǐnsouvenir; memento
• 纪念馆jì niàn guǎnmemorial hall; commemorative museum
• 悼念dào niànto grieve
• 纪念日jì niàn rìday of commemoration; memorial day
• 意念yì niànidea; thought
• 转念zhuǎn niànto have second thoughts about sth; to think better of
• 默念mò niànto read silently; to mouth (the words of a prayer etc); to say to oneself
• 纪念堂jì niàn tángmemorial hall; mausoleum
• 挂念guà niànto feel anxious about; to have (sth) weighing on one's mind
• 惦念diàn niànto constantly have (sb or sth) on one's mind
• 杂念zá niàndistracting thoughts
• 纪念册jì niàn cècommemorative album; autograph book; (graduation) yearbook
• 纪念章jì niàn zhāngmemorial badge; souvenir badge

Characters built on 今

These share the phonetic component 今 (jīn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 黔qián(literary) black; to blacken
• 钤qiánlatch of door; seal

Characters that look like 念

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 含hánto keep in the mouth; to contain
• 余yú(literary) I; me; variant of 余
• 奈nàiused in expressions that convey frustration and futility, such as 无奈…
• 忿fènanger; indignation; hatred
• 峦luánmountain ranges
• 佘Shésurname She

Sounds the same

Read niàn, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 廿twenty
• 卄twenty, twentieth
• 埝earth embankment used to hold back or retain water; dike around a paddy field
• 齞to display the teeth