想

xiǎng
HSK 1
#99 most
frequent character
to think, to believe, to suppose
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

想 has 心 heart, mind as the meaning part and 相 xiāng as the sound part. Ancient people linked thinking to the heart, so the first meaning was 'to think'. It grew to 'thought' and 'to want'.

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Example Sentences

我想吃苹果。
wǒxiǎng chī píngguǒ 。
I want to eat an apple.
她想去旅行。
tā xiǎngqù lǚxíng 。
She wants to travel.
我想你了。
wǒxiǎng nǐ le 。
I miss you.

Words with similar meanings

希望xīwàng
hope
希望 (xīwàng) conveys a similar desire for something to happen, but is generally more optimistic and future-oriented.
想要xiǎngyào
want
想要 (xiǎngyào) is a more direct way to express a desire for something specific.

Words Starting With 想

想念xiǎng niàn
miss; remember with longing; long to see again
想象xiǎng xiàng
to imagine; to fancy
想方设法xiǎng fāng shè fǎ
"to think up every possible method (idiom); to devise ways and means; to try this, that and the other"

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