想象 xiǎngxiàng — to imagine, to picture, to envision

Meanings

1. 1

   to imagine, to picture, to envision

   To build a picture in the mind of something not in front of you — a place never visited, a future not yet arrived. It is often softened with 一下 (想象一下, just imagine) or followed by 不到, unimaginable: 想象不到.

   verb
2. 2

   imagination

   noun

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

• 你能想象他现在有多高兴吗？/你能想象他現在有多高興嗎？Nǐ (third tone, dipping) néng (second tone, rising) xiǎngxiàng (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) yǒu (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) gāoxìng (first tone, high and level) ma? (neutral tone)···

  Can you imagine how happy he is right now?

• 这个地方比我想象的更漂亮。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) dìfang (fourth tone, falling) bǐ (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎngxiàng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) gèng (fourth tone, falling) piàoliang. (fourth tone, falling)···

  This place is even more beautiful than I imagined.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我想象你明天会来。

  Correct我想你明天会来。

  想象 pictures something concrete in the mind’s eye — a scene, an object, a possibility spelled out. A loose guess about what someone will do just needs 想; 想象 is too heavy a word for an everyday hunch.

Similar words

Words containing 想

• 想xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to want to, would like to
• 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
• 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