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异想天开 (yì xiǎng tiān kāi) — to have a wildly unrealistic idea; to indulge in fantasy; wishful thinking

Definition

Means ‘wildly unrealistic thinking’ — usually criticizes the idea itself as impossible. 比 胡思乱想 more specific: 胡思乱想 is scattered, irrational thoughts; 异想天开 targets one fanciful plan or belief.

phrase
to have a wildly unrealistic ideato indulge in fantasywishful thinking

Examples

  • ，异想天开。
    Tā jū rán xiǎng yí gè yuè xué huì fǎ yǔ, zhēn shì yì xiǎng tiān kāi.
    He actually thinks he can learn French in a month — that's pure wishful thinking.
  • 异想天开，。
    Bié yì xiǎng tiān kāi le, zhè ge jì huà gēn běn xíng bù tōng.
    Stop daydreaming — this plan will never work.
  • 异想天开，。
    Tā zǒng yǒu yì xiē yì xiǎng tiān kāi de xiǎng fǎ, dàn cóng bù xíng dòng.
    She always has some wildly unrealistic ideas, but never takes action.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

异想wild thoughts
异yìstrange想xiǎngthought
偏正Modifier + head
天开sky opens
天tiānsky开kāiopen
主谓Subject + predicate

「异想」presents wild thoughts, while「天开」suggests the sky opens, making the idea seem outlandish.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart, mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng想xiǎng
Same sound today

想 has 心 (heart, mind) below 相 (to look at); the shape shows the mind looking at or considering something, and 相 also gives the sound.

Open 想 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesThinking & Cognition

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.