Meaning of 想到
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to think of
- to call to mind
- to anticipate
How to use 想到
想到 means an idea or person comes to mind, or that you expected something. It is very common in the pattern 没想到 (méi xiǎngdào), meaning you did not expect something. Example: 我没想到他会来。(Wǒ méi xiǎngdào tā huì lái.) I didn't expect him to come.
想 (xiǎng) means to think, and 到 (dào) means to arrive. When your thinking arrives at an idea, you have 想到 it.
Common mistake: Learners often use 想 alone when they mean the result of thinking. 我想他 means "I miss him" or "I think about him," but 我想到他 means "he came to my mind." Also keep the third tone on 想 (xiǎng), not 象 (xiàng).
想到 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
想 xiǎng · to think · 13 strokes
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到 dào · to reach · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 想到.
| 看到 | kàndào | to see |
| 找到 | zhǎodào | to find |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to obtain; to receive |
| 听到 | tīngdào | to hear |
| 回到 | huídào | to return to |
| 来到 | láidào | to arrive; to come |
| 见到 | jiàndào | to see |
| 做到 | zuòdào | to accomplish; to achieve |
| 感到 | gǎndào | to feel; to sense; to perceive |
| 收到 | shōudào | to receive |
| 想法 | xiǎngfǎ | way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth) |
| 拿到 | nádào | to get; to obtain |
Questions about 想到
What does 想到 mean?
想到 (xiǎngdào) means "to think of; to call to mind".
How do you write 想到?
想到 is made of 2 characters: 想 (13 strokes), 到 (8 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 想到 an HSK word?
Yes. 想到 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 想到 and 想起?
想起 (xiǎngqǐ) means to recall something you already knew but had forgotten, like a name. 想到 is broader. It can mean a new idea occurs to you or that you anticipated something.
How do I say "can't think of" with 想到?
Put 不 in the middle to make 想不到 (xiǎng bu dào), which means "can't think of" or "unexpected." For example, 真想不到 (zhēn xiǎng bu dào) means "I really never would have guessed."