Definitions

xiǎng (verb) to think; to believe; to suppose
xiǎng (verb) to want; to wish
xiǎng (verb) to miss (someone or something)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "想" derives from the structural combination of "相", which conveys mutual or reflective perception, and "心", representing the heart or mind, thereby conceptually framing thought as a mental engagement with impressions or ideas. Initially denoting the act of thinking or considering, its semantic scope gradually extended to include the emotional dimension of missing or yearning, illustrating a natural progression from cognitive to affective applications. This evolution in meaning, while subtle, underscores the integrated nature of intellectual and emotional processes within the character's design, as its form has remained consistent over time without undergoing graphical simplification, thus preserving the original insight that thought inherently involves the heart.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我真的很你。

Wǒ zhēn de hěn xiǎng nǐ.

I really miss you.

去北京。

Wǒ xiǎng qù Běijīng.

I want to go to Beijing.

他在一个问题。

Tā zài xiǎng yī gè wèntí.

He is thinking about a problem.

看电影?

Nǐ xiǎng bu xiǎng kàn diànyǐng?

Do you want to watch a movie?

我妈妈让我学中文。

Wǒ māma xiǎng ràng wǒ xué Zhōngwén.

My mother wants me to learn Chinese.

如果你去,就得早点出发。

Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng qù, jiù déi zǎo diǎn chūfā.

If you want to go, you have to leave early.

她一直在昨天发生的事情。

Tā yìzhí zài xiǎng zuótiān fāshēng de shìqíng.

She has been thinking about what happened yesterday.

尽管他了很多办法,但还是没有解决问题。

Jǐnguǎn tā xiǎngle hěnduō bànfǎ, dàn háishì méiyǒu jiějué wèntí.

Although he thought of many methods, he still didn't solve the problem.