HSK 6 · Verbs

设想 shèxiǎng “to imagine” in Chinese

Traditional 設想

What 设想 means

  1. to imagine
  2. to envisage
  3. idea
  4. to assume
  5. tentative plan
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • to have consideration for

How to say 设想

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale设shè4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale想xiǎng3rd tone, dipping

设想 in a sentence

  1. 我有一个设想。

    Wǒ yǒu yí ge shèxiǎng.

    I have an idea.

    Sentence #5091184 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 设想 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 设 (shè) with each of its parts in a different colour
设shèto set up; to put in place
  • 讠speech form of 言 · yánMeaning part
  • 殳weapon · shūSound part

讠 hints at the meaning (speech); 殳 (shū) hints at the sound. Compare it with shè.

The character 想 (xiǎng) with each of its parts in a different colour
想xiǎngto think
  • 相mutual · xiāngSound part
  • 心heart · xīnMeaning part

心 hints at the meaning (heart); 相 (xiāng) hints at the sound. Compare it with xiǎng.

Memory aid相 means to look at closely. Add the heart 心 and you picture something in your mind: to think.

How to write 设想

设 6 strokes · 想 13 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

设想 (shèxiǎng) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 设想 (shèxiǎng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 设想

Words with 设

建设jiànshè · to build设计shèjì · to design设备shèbèi · equipment设施shèshī · facilities假设jiǎshè · to suppose设立shèlì · to set up设置shèzhì · to set up想方设法xiǎngfāngshèfǎ · to try every possible way

Words with 想

想xiǎng · to want想到xiǎngdào · to think of理想lǐxiǎng · an ideal感想gǎnxiǎng · impressions幻想huànxiǎng · to fantasise思想sīxiǎng · thought想念xiǎngniàn · to miss想象xiǎngxiàng · to imagine梦想mèngxiǎng · dream空想kōngxiǎng · fantasy

More words: Thinking & Talking

认定rèndìng · to be convinced认可rènkě · to approve撒谎sāhuǎng · to lie擅长shàncháng · to be good at识别shíbié · to identify示意shìyì · to signal疏忽shūhu · to neglect思索sīsuǒ · to ponder

FAQs

设想 (shèxiǎng) means “to imagine” or “to envisage”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it shèxiǎng: shè with a 4th tone, then xiǎng with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 设想 is written 設想. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type shexiang with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 设想 from the suggestions. Typing shexiang into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
设想 is an HSK 6 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.