想象

Chinese

	to think; to believe; to suppose to think; to believe; to suppose; to wish; to want; to miss	shape; form; appearance shape; form; appearance; elephant; image under a map (maths)
trad. (想象)	想	象
simp. ^#(想象)	想	象
alternative forms	想像

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiǎngxiàng

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): soeng² zoeng⁶
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sióng-siong
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sióng-siōng / sióng-siǒng / siáng-chhiāng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiǎngxiàng
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: siǎngsiàng
  - Wade–Giles: hsiang³-hsiang⁴
  - Yale: syǎng-syàng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheangshianq
  - Palladius: сянсян (sjansjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    想像
    想象
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: soeng² zoeng⁶
  - Yale: séung jeuhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: soeng² dzoeng⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: sêng² zêng⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sœːŋ³⁵ t͡sœːŋ²²/
  - Homophones:
    ^edit
    ^edit
    想像
    想象
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sióng-siong
  - Hakka Romanization System: xiong` xiong
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xiong³ xiong⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /si̯oŋ³¹ si̯oŋ⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sióng-siōng
  - Tâi-lô: sióng-siōng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siofngsiong
  - IPA (Taipei): /siɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /siɔŋ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ siɔŋ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /siɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ²²/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sióng-siǒng
  - Tâi-lô: sióng-siǒng
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /siɔŋ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ siɔŋ²²/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siáng-chhiāng
  - Tâi-lô: siáng-tshiāng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siafngchiang
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /siaŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiaŋ²²/

Verb

想象

to imagine; to picture; to envision
戒煙比我想象中容易多了。 [MSC, trad.]
戒烟比我想象中容易多了。 [MSC, simp.]
Jièyān bǐ wǒ xiǎngxiàng zhōng róngyì duō le. [Pinyin]
Quitting smoking was easier than I imagined.

Usage notes

In Mainland China, the form 想象 (xiǎngxiàng) is prescribed and the alternative form 想像 is proscribed. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, the form 想像 (xiǎngxiàng) is preferred.

Synonyms

估計／估计 (gūjì)
估量
假定 (jiǎdìng)
假想 (jiǎxiǎng)
假設／假设 (jiǎshè)
商量 (shāngliàng) (Classical Chinese)
嫌 (xián) (literary, or in compounds)
忖度 (cǔnduó) (literary)
思裁 (sīcái) (literary)
懸／悬 (xuán) (literary, or in compounds)
懸想／悬想 (xuánxiǎng)
懷疑／怀疑 (huáiyí)
打估 (Southern Pinghua)
推想 (tuīxiǎng)
推測／推测 (tuīcè)
掠算 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
揣度 (formal)
擬／拟 (nǐ)
母量 (mu³ liong) (Gan)
派胚 (Hokkien)
測／测 (cè) (literary, or in compounds)
測估／测估 (cègū)
測度／测度 (cèduó)
測算／测算 (cèsuàn)
猜 (cāi)
猜度 (cāiduó)
猜想 (cāixiǎng)
猜摸 (cāimo)
猜料 (cāiliào)
猜測／猜测 (cāicè)
猜詳／猜详 (cāixiáng)
算 (suàn)
算計／算计 (suànjì)
約摸／约摸 (yuēmo)
臭疑 (Hokkien)
臭青疑 (Hokkien)
虛擬／虚拟 (xūnǐ)
要約／要约 (iau³ ieh⁴) (Jin)
設／设 (shè)
設想／设想 (shèxiǎng)
跋胚 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
辦胚／办胚 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
阿合 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
青疑 (Hokkien)
預計／预计 (yùjì)

Derived terms

想象力 (xiǎngxiànglì)