思 meaning and stroke order
To think, to ponder, to consider; final particle
How to write 思, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 思
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to think
- to consider
How 思 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Weighing something with your mind 囟 (altered) and heart 心.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 思
The top part looks like 田 (tián, field), but it is an altered form of 囟, the top of the head, sitting above 心 (xīn, heart). When you think something over, you weigh it with both your head and your heart.
思 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 意思 (yìsi), 思考 (sīkǎo) and 思想 (sīxiǎng). Example: 这本书很有意思。(Zhè běn shū hěn yǒu yìsi.) This book is very interesting.
Common mistake: In 意思 (yìsi) and 心思 (xīnsi), 思 is said in the neutral tone, so learners who stress it as a full first tone sound unnatural. Also do not confuse 思 with 恩 (ēn, kindness), which has 因 on top instead of 田.
Common words with 思
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion | HSK 2 |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing | HSK 2 |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful | HSK 2 |
| 思想 | sīxiǎng | thought; thinking | HSK 3 |
| 思考 | sīkǎo | to reflect on; to ponder over | HSK 4 |
| 思维 | sīwéi | (line of) thought; thinking | HSK 5 |
| 不可思议 | bùkě-sīyì | (idiom) inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable | HSK 7-9 |
| 心思 | xīnsi | mind; thoughts | HSK 7-9 |
| 思念 | sīniàn | to think of; to long for | HSK 7-9 |
| 没意思 | méi yìsi | boring; of no interest | HSK 7-9 |
| 胡思乱想 | húsī-luànxiǎng | (idiom) to indulge in flights of fancy; to let one's imagination run wild | HSK 7-9 |
| 思路 | sīlù | line of thought; way of thinking | HSK 7-9 |
| 构思 | gòusī | to design; to plot | HSK 7-9 |
| 沉思 | chénsī | to contemplate; to ponder | HSK 7-9 |
思 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 思
Learning 思 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 思
How many strokes are in 思?
思 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 思 mean?
思 (sī) means to think, to ponder, to consider; final particle. A common word with it is 意思 (yìsi), meaning "idea; opinion".
How do you pronounce 思?
思 is pronounced sī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 思?
The radical of 思 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 思 under this radical.
Is 思 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 思 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 思考 and 想?
想 (xiǎng) is the everyday word for think, want or miss. 思考 (sīkǎo) is more formal and means to think carefully or reflect on something in depth.
How is 不好意思 used in daily conversation?
It is a very common soft apology, like excuse me or sorry for the trouble. People say it when interrupting someone, asking a favor, or feeling a little embarrassed.