想 xiǎng — to want to, would like to

Meanings

1. 1

   to want to, would like to

   A wish or intention, always followed by a verb: 想去, 想吃, 想买. It is softer and more tentative than 要, which states a firm demand.

   verb
2. 2

   to think; to miss (someone)

   verb

   With a person as its object, 想 means to miss them: 我很想我妈妈.

Character breakdown

• 想

  xiǎng (third tone, dipping)

  to think, to reflect; to want to, to would like to; to miss someone

  13 strokes⿱相心Radical 心

Example sentences

• 我想去中国。/我想去中國。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) qù (fourth tone, falling) Zhōngguó. (first tone, high and level)···

  I’d like to go to China.

• 我很想我妈妈。/我很想我媽媽。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) māma. (first tone, high and level)···

  I miss my mum a lot.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我想水。

  Correct我想喝水。

  When 想 means "would like", a verb must follow it. 想 with a noun straight after it means "to think of" or "to miss", so 我想水 reads as missing the water.

Similar words

Words containing 想

• 想到xiǎng (third tone, dipping) dào (fourth tone, falling)to think of
• 想法xiǎng (third tone, dipping) fǎ (third tone, dipping)way of thinking; opinion; notion
• 梦想/夢想mèng (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)(figuratively) to dream of
• 思想sī (first tone, high and level) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)thought
• 想起xiǎng (third tone, dipping) qǐ (third tone, dipping)to recall
• 想象xiǎngxiàng (third tone, dipping)to imagine, to picture, to envision
• 理想lǐxiǎng (third tone, dipping)ideal, dream, life ambition
• 想念xiǎng (third tone, dipping) niàn (fourth tone, falling)to miss
• 幻想huàn (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)delusion
• 想不到xiǎng (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) dào (fourth tone, falling)unexpected
• 回想huí (second tone, rising) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to recall
• 联想/聯想lián (second tone, rising) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to associate (cognitively)
• 设想/設想shè (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to imagine
• 着想/著想zhuó (second tone, rising) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to give thought (to others)
• 猜想cāi (first tone, high and level) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to guess; to conjecture; to suppose
• 妄想wàng (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to attempt vainly
• 意想不到yì (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling)unexpected