想念 meaning in English

xiǎngniàn

to miss; to remember with longing

HSK 4verb21 strokes

Meaning of 想念

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

xiǎngniàn

to miss
to remember with longing
to long to see again

How to use 想念

想念 is used for missing people, places, or things you are away from, and it sounds a bit warmer and more written than plain 想. It takes a direct object. Example: 我很想念我的家人。(Wǒ hěn xiǎngniàn wǒ de jiārén.) I really miss my family.

Both 想 (xiǎng) and 念 (niàn) contain 心 (xīn, heart) at the bottom, so missing someone is thinking with your heart twice. 念 also appears in 纪念 (jìniàn, to commemorate), which helps you link it to keeping someone in mind.

Common mistake: Learners often use 想念 for missing a bus or a class, but that kind of missing is 错过 (cuòguò). 想念 only means emotionally longing for someone or something.

想念 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

你nǐ走zǒu后hòu，我wǒ会huì想xiǎng念niàn你nǐ的de。

I'll miss you when you're gone.

妈mā妈mā想xiǎng念niàn她tā在zài读dú大dà学xué的de女nǚ儿ér。

The mother missed her daughter who was away at college.

我wǒ会huì很hěn想xiǎng念niàn你nǐ们men的de。

I'll miss you all so much.

我wǒ想xiǎng念niàn日rì本běn的de食shí物wù。

I miss Japanese food.

我wǒ昨zuó天tiān非fēi常cháng想xiǎng念niàn你nǐ。

I missed you very much yesterday.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

想 xiǎng · to think · 13 strokes

念 niàn · to read · 8 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 想念.

想法	xiǎngfǎ	way of thinking; opinion; notion; to think of a way (to do sth)
想到	xiǎngdào	to think of; to call to mind
想起	xiǎngqǐ	to recall; to think of
理想	lǐxiǎng	an ideal; a dream
思想	sīxiǎng	thought; thinking
纪念	jìniàn	to commemorate; to honor the memory of; memento; keepsake; souvenir
概念	gàiniàn	concept; idea
观念	guānniàn	notion; thought
想象	xiǎngxiàng	to imagine; to envision; imagination
梦想	mèngxiǎng	(fig.) to dream of; dream
没想到	méi xiǎngdào	didn't expect
怀念	huáiniàn	to cherish the memory of; to think of

Questions about 想念

What does 想念 mean?

想念 (xiǎngniàn) means "to miss; to remember with longing" and is used as a verb.

How do you write 想念?

想念 is made of 2 characters: 想 (13 strokes), 念 (8 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.

Is 想念 an HSK word?

Yes. 想念 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What is the difference between 想念 and 想 when saying I miss you?

我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) is the everyday spoken way and is very common between couples and family. 我想念你 (wǒ xiǎngniàn nǐ) means the same thing but feels a little more formal or heartfelt, and it shows up often in letters and songs.

Is 想念 the same as 怀念 (huáiniàn)?

They overlap, but 怀念 usually looks back at something past or gone, like old times or a person who has died. 想念 is more about missing someone or something you hope to see again, such as friends far away or home cooking.