Meaning of 意思
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- idea
- opinion
- meaning
- wish
- desire
- interest
- fun
- token of appreciation, affection etc
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 意思
意思 is used to ask about or explain meaning, and it appears in common set phrases like 有意思 (yǒu yìsi, interesting) and 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi, sorry, excuse me). Example: 这个字是什么意思？ (Zhège zì shì shénme yìsi?) What does this character mean?
Both characters contain 心 (xīn, heart) at the bottom: 意 (yì) and 思 (sī). Think of 意思 as what your heart is thinking, which is the meaning or idea behind something.
Common mistake: Learners often say the second syllable with a full tone as yìsī. In everyday speech 思 is neutral tone, so it sounds like yìsi. Also, 没意思 (méi yìsi) means boring, not meaningless in a deep sense, so do not use it to say a word has no definition.
意思 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.
意 yì · thought · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
思 sī · to think · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 意思.
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | idea; opinion |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
| 生意 | shēngyi | life force; vitality |
| 意外 | yìwài | unexpected; accident |
| 意义 | yìyì | sense; meaning |
Questions about 意思
What does 意思 mean?
意思 (yìsi) means "idea; opinion" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 意思?
意思 is made of 2 characters: 意 (13 strokes), 思 (9 strokes). That is 22 strokes in total.
Is 意思 an HSK word?
Yes. 意思 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 你什么意思 mean?
你什么意思？ (Nǐ shénme yìsi?) literally asks what you mean, but it often sounds confrontational, like asking what someone is implying. Use it carefully, because it can come across as annoyed.
What does 一点小意思 mean when giving a gift?
小意思 (xiǎo yìsi) means a small token of appreciation. People say 一点小意思 (yìdiǎn xiǎo yìsi) when handing over a gift to be modest, like saying it is just a little something.