意 meaning and stroke order
Thought, idea, opinion; desire, wish; meaning, intention
How to write 意, stroke by stroke
13 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 意
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) idea; thought; meaning; sense
- (bound form) intention; feeling; inclination; state of mind
- (bound form) Italy (abbr. for 意大利[Yi4 da4 li4])
How 意 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 音 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 意
意 is 音 (yīn, sound) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). Picture the sound of your heart: what your heart is saying is your thought, wish, or meaning.
意 rarely stands alone. It appears in many everyday words like 意思 (yìsi, meaning), 注意 (zhùyì, pay attention), and 愿意 (yuànyì, be willing). Example: 这个字是什么意思？(Zhège zì shì shénme yìsi?) What does this character mean?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 意 with 音 (yīn) or 章 (zhāng), which look similar on top. Only 意 has 心 at the bottom, and 章 ends in 十 instead. Also, in 意思 the 思 is usually said with a neutral tone, yìsi, not yìsī.
Common words with 意
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion | HSK 2 |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want | 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 |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | idea; opinion | HSK 2 |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased | HSK 2 |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose | HSK 2 |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to | HSK 3 |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent | HSK 3 |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea | HSK 3 |
| 生意 | shēngyi | life force; vitality | HSK 3 |
| 意外 | yìwài | unexpected; accident | HSK 3 |
| 意义 | yìyì | sense; meaning | HSK 3 |
| 得意 | déyì | proud of oneself; pleased with oneself | HSK 4 |
意 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 意
Learning 意 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 意
How many strokes are in 意?
意 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 意 mean?
意 (yì) means thought, idea, opinion; desire, wish; meaning, intention. A common word with it is 意思 (yìsi), meaning "idea; opinion".
How do you pronounce 意?
意 is pronounced yì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 意?
The radical of 意 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 意 under this radical.
Is 意 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 意 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 1.
How do you use 不好意思 in daily life?
不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) is a soft way to say excuse me or sorry, for example when you bump into someone or ask a stranger for help. It can also mean you feel shy or embarrassed.
Why does 意 sometimes mean Italy?
意 is short for 意大利 (Yìdàlì), the Chinese name for Italy, which comes from its sound. So 意大利面 (Yìdàlì miàn) is Italian pasta, and 意 can mark Italian things in short forms.