想 (xiǎng) means "to think, want" with 13 strokes, radical 心 (heart), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to think
Other meanings:
- want
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
想 does not appear in oracle-bone script and is a later phono-semantic compound. The semantic component is 心 (heart, the seat of thought in Chinese conception) and the phonetic component is 相 xiāng, which supplies the pronunciation xiǎng. The top half 相 is itself a compound of 木 (tree) and 目 (eye), originally meaning 'to look at', but in 想 it functions only as a sound indicator.
Form evolution
The earliest stable forms are seal script, where 相 sits above a clearly drawn 心. Clerical script squared off both components and fixed the stacked layout. The modern 楷书 form shows no significant structural change from clerical, with 相 on top and 心 as the base radical.
How the meaning evolved
The root meaning is 'to think' or 'to ponder', derived transparently from the 心 component. From there it extended to 'to want' or 'would like to' (想吃 'want to eat'), to 'to miss' or 'long for' (想家 'homesick'), and to 'to suppose' or 'guess' (我想是的 'I think so'). These senses all coexist in modern Mandarin and are distinguished by context and grammar.
Cultural note
The split between 想 'want' and 要 yào 'want' trips up most learners: 想 leans toward desire and consideration, while 要 is firmer and more demanding. The idiom 想入非非 xiǎngrù-fēifēi, 'to let the mind wander into fantastical places', captures the thinking-and-imagining end of the word's range.
Mnemonic
Mutual feelings in the heart — to think, to want
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | xiǎng |
| Meanings | to think, want |
| Stroke count | 13 strokes |
| Radical | 心 (#61: heart) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #117 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 想
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 想 | xiǎng | to think, want | HSK 1 |
| 理想 | lǐxiǎng | ideal | HSK 4 |
| 感想 | gǎnxiǎng | Feel | HSK 6 |
| 思想 | sīxiǎng | thought | HSK 5 |
| 想念 | xiǎngniàn | miss | HSK 5 |
| 幻想 | huànxiǎng | fantasy | HSK 6 |
| 梦想 | mèngxiǎng | Dream | HSK 4 |
| 想象 | xiǎngxiàng | imagine | HSK 5 |
| 不堪设想 | bùkānshèxiǎng | inconceivable | |
| 猜想 | cāixiǎng | to suppose, to guess | HSK 7-9 |
| 畅想 | chàngxiǎng | to imagine freely | |
| 构想 | gòuxiǎng | to conceive, concept | HSK 7-9 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (action)
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 想 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.