想 Stroke Order — How to Write 想
想 is written in 13 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 心, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
想 Radical and Character Components
想 is a phono-semantic compound: 心 (mind) carries the meaning, while 相 indicates the sound.
Radical: 心 + 9 more strokes
想 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- xiǎng
Meanings of 想 in Chinese
1
xiǎng想
To think, ponder, or imagine; to form an idea or concept in one's mind.
我喜欢想象未来的美好生活。
I like to imagine a beautiful future life.
To infer, suppose, believe, or imagine; to expect or reckon.
他这么努力学习，想必会考个好成绩。
He studies so hard; he will surely get good grades.
To hope; to intend; to wish for; to aspire.
每个人都有自己的理想，并为之努力奋斗。
Everyone has their own ideals and strives for them.
To miss; to long for; to remember with affection.
我非常想念我的家人。
I miss my family very much.
To resemble; to be like; to seem like
她的歌声想百灵鸟一样动听
Her singing is as melodious as a lark's.
Common Words and Phrases with 想
1
Most probably; presumably; used to express a relatively certain judgment or inference.
外面天气这么好，想必公园里人会很多
The weather is so good outside, most likely the park will be crowded.
2
3
To take things too hard or to be unable to let go of worries/troubles.
遇到挫折时，不要总是想不开，要学会放下。
When encountering setbacks, don't always take them too hard; learn to let go.
4
to take for granted; to assume things without proper verification
你不能想当然地认为每个人都了解你的意思，沟通时要更清晰。
You can't take for granted that everyone understands your meaning; you need to be clearer when communicating.
5
to think of; to call to mind; to have an idea come to mind
我想到一个解决问题的好办法。
I thought of a good way to solve the problem.
6
A colloquial term for hope or wish.
他心里一直有个想儿，希望能有一天开一家自己的小店。
He has always harbored a wish in his heart, hoping to open his own small shop one day.
7
8
to try every means possible; to devise ways and means
为了解决这个难题，他们想方设法，最终找到了一个创新的方案。
To solve this difficult problem, they tried every possible means and finally found an innovative solution.
9
to infer; to deduce from observation or speculation
从他最近的沉默寡言来看，想见是他在工作中遇到了什么难题。
Judging from his recent quietness, it is inferred that he has encountered some difficulty in his work.
10
It may be assumed that; presumably; probably.
想来他应该已经完成了这项任务。
I suppose he has probably completed this task.
11
12
To hesitate and be indecisive, constantly weighing pros and cons and worrying about all possible outcomes or implications.
他做事总是想前顾后，结果错失了很多好机会。
He is always overcautious and hesitant when doing things, consequently missing many good opportunities.
13
to indulge in fantasy; to allow one's fancy to run wild; to let one's imagination run riot; to have unrealistic thoughts.
他喜欢一个人在深夜里，对着星空想入非非，构思着各种奇妙的宇宙理论。
He enjoys being alone late at night, gazing at the starry sky and letting his imagination run wild, contemplating various wondrous theories about the universe.
14
idea; thought; prospect; hope
他对未来充满想头，希望能做一番事业。
He is full of hopes for the future and wishes to achieve great things.
15
to long for; to desire
她想望能在一个安静的乡村里，过上平静而充实的生活。
She yearns to live a peaceful and fulfilling life in a quiet village.
More words with 想
- huàn幻xiǎng想fantasy, illusion
- xiá遐xiǎng想reverie, daydreaming
- cāi猜xiǎng想to guess, conjecture, or suspect
- chī痴xiǎng想fantasy, delusion
- gòu构xiǎng想concept, idea
- miǎn缅xiǎng想reminisce, recall
- wàng妄xiǎng想delusion, fantasy
- yáo遥xiǎng想to recall, to recollect
- mèng梦xiǎng想dream
- míng冥xiǎng想Meditation
- chàng畅xiǎng想Envision, Imagine freely
- chuǎi揣xiǎng想speculate, conjecture
- shè涉xiǎng想to imagine; to envision
- duì对bǐ比lián联xiǎng想Contrastive association, Association by contrast
- huàn幻xiǎng想qǔ曲Fantasia, Fantasy
- xiáng想qǐ起recall, remember
- xiáng想xiǎng想think, consider
- xiǎng想xiàng象imagine, imagination
- xiǎng想yào要Want, Wish
- sī思xiǎng想Thought, Idea
Idioms with 想
- xiǎng想wàng望fēng风cǎi采admire someone's demeanor and eagerly wish to meet them
- bù不kān堪shè设xiǎng想unimaginable dreadful consequences
- zhāo朝sī思mù暮xiǎng想to long for day and night
- chī痴xīn心wàng妄xiǎng想delusional pipe dream
- fēi非fèn分zhī之xiǎng想covet what is beyond one's proper share
- fú浮xiǎng想lián联piān翩thoughts come thick and fast
- gǎn敢xiǎng想gǎn敢gàn干dare to think and act
- gǎn敢xiǎng想gǎn敢shuō说dare to think and speak freely
- hú胡cāi猜luàn乱xiǎng想make wild guesses and random conjectures
- hú胡sī思luàn乱xiǎng想indulge in groundless fancies
- kě可xiǎng想ér而zhī知it can well be imagined
- kǔ苦sī思míng冥xiǎng想ponder deeply and intently
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Open the tool →Questions about 想
What does 想 mean in Chinese?
想 (xiǎng) means “To think, ponder, or imagine” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 想?
想 is pronounced xiǎng in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 想 have?
想 has 13 strokes.
How do you write 想?
想 is written in 13 strokes, starting from the radical 心. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 想?
The radical of 想 is 心, and 想 is a phono-semantic compound.