理想 lǐxiǎng — ideal, dream, life ambition

Meanings

1. 1

   ideal, dream, life ambition

   理, reason, and 想, to imagine — a picture of the person one hopes to become, reasoned out rather than idly wished for. 希望 covers any hope, however small; 理想 is reserved for the shape of a whole life.

   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

• 我的理想是当一名医生，帮助更多的人。/我的理想是當一名醫生，幫助更多的人。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) lǐxiǎng (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) dāng (first tone, high and level) yì (fourth tone, falling) míng (second tone, rising) yīshēng, (first tone, high and level) bāngzhù (first tone, high and level) gèng (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) rén. (second tone, rising)···

  My dream is to become a doctor and help more people.

• 为了理想，他努力学习，从不放弃。/為了理想，他努力學習，從不放棄。Wèile (fourth tone, falling) lǐxiǎng, (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) nǔlì (third tone, dipping) xuéxí, (second tone, rising) cóng (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) fàngqì. (fourth tone, falling)···

  For the sake of his dream, he studies hard and never gives up.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我的希望是当一名医生。

  Correct我的理想是当一名医生。

  希望 covers any hope, however small or fleeting — hoping for good weather tomorrow. 理想 is reserved for a life’s ambition, the person one hopes to become. Swapping them shrinks a lifelong dream to the size of a wish for sunshine.

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
• 想象xiǎngxiàng (third tone, dipping)to imagine, to picture, to envision
• 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