想

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 想 (xiǎng) is composed of two parts: the radical 目 (mù), which means "eye", and the phonetic component 相 (xiàng), which means "mutual" or "resemble". The original meaning of 想 was "to look at each other", which later extended to mean "to think about" or "to imagine".The character 想 is first seen in oracle bone script, the earliest form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 想 is depicted as a pair of eyes looking at each other. This suggests that the original meaning of 想 was indeed "to look at each other".In modern Chinese, 想 is used in a variety of contexts. It can be used as a verb, meaning "to think about" or "to imagine". It can also be used as a noun, meaning "thought" or "idea".The character 想 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms. For example, the idiom 想入非非 (xiǎngrùfēifēi) means "to have wild thoughts" or "to daydream". The idiom 一厢情愿 (yīxiāngqíngyuàn) means "to have a one-sided love" or "to be wishful thinking".The character 想 is a common character in Chinese. It is used in a variety of contexts and has a rich history. By understanding the etymology of 想, we can gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese language and culture.