What does 意思 mean in Chinese?

意思 (yì si) means "idea; opinion; meaning; wish; desire; interest; fun; token of appreciation, affection etc; to give as a small token; to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 2.

How do you pronounce 意思?

意思 is pronounced "yì si" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 2 syllables.

What HSK level is 意思?

意思 is an HSK 2 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 2 on both the old and the new exam.

What characters make up 意思?

意思 is made up of the characters 意, 思. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 意思?

You can practice writing 意思 using our stroke order tool.

意思 (yì si), idea

意思

yì si

idea; opinion; meaning; wish

HSK 2classifierverb

Characters in This Word

意思

Definitions

(classifier, verb) idea
opinion
meaning
wish
desire
interest
fun
token of appreciation, affection etc
to give as a small token
to do sth as a gesture of goodwill etc

Classifier: 个 (gè)

Example Sentences

这是什么意思？

Zhè shì shénme yìsi

What does this mean?

Related Words

小意思(xiǎo yì si)· small token

→

定盘星(dìng pán xīng)· the zero point indicator marked on a steelyard

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 2
HSK 2.0: HSK 2
HSK Lord study list: HSK 2 list

意思: HSK 2 on both the old and the new exam. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 2 exam

Studying for HSK 2? Keep 意思 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each word comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 2 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.