Where 想 comes from
mind
- Meaning part
- 心 (“heart”)
- Sound part
- 相 (“each other”)
How to write 想 (xiǎng, “to think”)
想 (xiǎng), an HSK 1 character, means “to think”, “to think of” and “to think”. It pairs a meaning part, 心 (“heart”), with a sound part, 相 (“each other”). On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 想法 (“way of thinking”), 理想 (“an ideal”) and 梦想 (“to dream of”). Japanese reads it sou, “idea”, as a JLPT N3 kanji.
- Pinyin
- xiǎng
- Strokes
- 13
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 心 (“heart”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
As a top-bottom character it splits into 相 (“each other”), strokes 1–9; 心 (“heart”, the radical), strokes 10–13, written the top first.
- top leftrightwards
- top leftdownwards
- top leftdown and left
- centerdown and right
- topdownwards
- toprightwards → downwards
- toprightwards
- centerrightwards
- centerrightwards
- bottom leftdownwards
- bottom leftdown and right → rightwards → upwards
- centerdown and right
- rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (13 strokes in Japanese, 13 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| xiǎng third tone | to think (about); to think of; to devise; to think (that); to believe (that); to desire; to want (to); to miss (feel wistful about the absence of) | — | 想法 理想 梦想 思想 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 129 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 想
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 想 | xiǎng | to think (about); to think of HSK 1 |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion HSK 4 |
| 理想 | lǐxiǎng | an ideal; a dream HSK 4 |
| 梦想 夢想 | mèngxiǎng | to dream of; dream HSK 4 |
| 思想 | sīxiǎng | thought; thinking HSK 5 |
| 想象 | xiǎngxiàng | to imagine; to envision HSK 5 |
| 想念 | xiǎngniàn | to miss; to remember with longing HSK 5 |
| 感想 | gǎnxiǎng | impressions; reflections HSK 6 |
| 联想 聯想 | liánxiǎng | to associate (cognitively); to make an associative connection HSK 6 |
| 设想 設想 | shèxiǎng | to imagine; to assume HSK 6 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.
Keep going
HSK 1, in list order: