Dictionary › 想

想

xiǎng

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character

想 (xiǎng) means "to think (about)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 想 means

1. to think (about)
2. to think of; to devise
3. to think (that); to believe (that)
4. to desire; to want (to)
5. to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)

How 想 is used in grammar

想 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Modal Verbs: 想 and 要 (HSK 1)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 1, verbs (能愿动词).

Example sentences

• 我想死
  Wǒ xiǎng sǐ
  I want to die.
• 我想吃
  Wǒ xiǎng chī
  I would like to eat.
• 快想！
  Think quickly!
• 我想说话
  Wǒ xiǎng shuōhuà
  I want to speak.
• 我想你。
  I miss you.
• 我想哭。
  I feel like crying.

Words starting with 想

• 想到xiǎng dàoto think of; to call to mind; to anticipate
• 想起xiǎng qǐto recall; to think of; to call to mind
• 想象xiǎng xiàngto imagine; to envision; imagination
• 想念xiǎng niànto miss; to remember with longing; to long to see again
• 想法xiǎng fǎway of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth)
• 想方设法xiǎng fāng shè fǎto think up every possible method (idiom); to devise ways and means…
• 想不到xiǎng bu dàounexpected; hard to imagine; it had not occurred to me
• 想像xiǎng xiàngto imagine; to envision; imagination
• 想来xiǎng láiit may be assumed that
• 想出xiǎng chūto figure out; to work out (a solution etc); to think up
• 想必xiǎng bìpresumably; probably; in all likelihood
• 想象力xiǎng xiàng lìimagination
• 想见xiǎng jiànto infer; to gather
• 想家xiǎng jiāhomesick
• 想开xiǎng kāito get over (a shock, bereavement etc); to avoid dwelling on unpleasant things…
• 想通xiǎng tōngto figure out; to realize; to become convinced
• 想像力xiǎng xiàng lìconception; imagination
• 想当然xiǎng dāng ránto take sth as given; to make assumptions
• 想不开xiǎng bu kāicannot figure out; to be unable to take a lighter view; to take things too hard
• 想入非非xiǎng rù fēi fēito indulge in fantasy (idiom); to let one's imagination run wild
• 想要xiǎng yàoto want to; to feel like; to fancy
• 想不通xiǎng bu tōngunable to understand; unable to get over
• 想得美xiǎng de měito have an unrealistically optimistic expectation; (as an interjection) what a dreamer!
• 想得开xiǎng de kāito not take to heart; to be free of worried thoughts; to adopt a lighthearted perspective

Words containing 想

• 不想bù xiǎngunexpectedly; to one's surprise
• 思想sī xiǎngthought; thinking; idea
• 理想lǐ xiǎngan ideal; a dream; ideal
• 幻想huàn xiǎngto fantasize; to imagine; an illusion; a fantasy
• 感想gǎn xiǎngimpressions; reflections; thoughts
• 没想到méi xiǎng dàodidn't expect
• 梦想mèng xiǎng(fig.) to dream of; dream
• 联想lián xiǎngto associate (cognitively); to make an associative connection; mental association
• 设想shè xiǎngto imagine; to assume; to envisage
• 着想zhuó xiǎngto give thought (to others); to consider (other people's needs); also pr. zháo xiǎng
• 妄想wàng xiǎngto attempt vainly; a vain attempt; delusion
• 空想kōng xiǎngdaydream; fantasy; to fantasize
• 心想xīn xiǎngto think to oneself; to think
• 回想huí xiǎngto recall; to recollect; to think back
• 猜想cāi xiǎngto guess; to conjecture; to suppose; (math) hypothesis
• 可想而知kě xiǎng ér zhī(idiom) (it) goes without saying; can well be imagined
• 胡思乱想hú sī luàn xiǎng(idiom) to indulge in flights of fancy; to let one's imagination run wild
• 意想不到yì xiǎng bù dàounexpected; previously unimagined
• 毛泽东思想Máo Zé dōng Sī xiǎngMao Zedong Thought
• 试想shì xiǎngto consider (a cogent point) (usu. used as an imperative – "Think about it: ...")
• 思想家sī xiǎng jiāthinker
• 构想gòu xiǎngto conceive; concept
• 遐想xiá xiǎngreverie; daydream; to be lost in wild and fanciful thoughts
• 暗想àn xiǎngthink to oneself

Characters built on 相

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

• 箱xiāngbox; trunk; chest
• 厢xiāngbox (in theater); side room; side
• 湘Xiāngabbr. for Hunan 湖南 province in south central China…
• 葙xiāngsee 青葙, feather cockscomb (Celosia argentea)
• 缃xiānglight yellow color

Characters that look like 想

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

• 禁jìnto prohibit; to forbid
• 愤fènindignant; anger; resentment
• 揉róuto knead; to massage; to rub
• 熬áoto cook on a slow fire; to extract by heating; to decoct; to endure
• 愆qiānfault; transgression
• 獒áo(bound form) mastiff

Sounds the same

Read xiǎng, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 响echo; sound; noise
• 享to enjoy; to benefit; to have the use of
• 饷soldier's pay
• 飨(literary) to offer food and drinks; to entertain
• 晑bright; clear
• 蚃(literary) insect larva; Taiwan pr. xiàng
• 鲞dried fish

Where 想 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Feelings and Adjectives (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 4 (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read xiǎng correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.