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料想 (liào xiǎng) — to expect, to presume, to think (usually about something that may happen)

Definition

Literary/formal 'to expect or suppose,' often about uncertain future outcomes. Stricter than 想象 (imagine) and more speculative than 预料 (anticipate based on signs).

verb
to expectto presumeto think (usually about something that may happen)

Examples

  • 料想。
    Wǒ liào xiǎng tā jīn tiān bú huì lái le.
    I don't expect him to come today.
  • 料想。
    Zhè jiàn shì de hòu guǒ hěn nán liào xiǎng.
    The consequences of this matter are hard to predict.
  • 料想，。
    Zhèng rú wǒ men suǒ liào xiǎng de nà yàng, bǐ sài jié guǒ hěn jiē jìn.
    As we expected, the game results were very close.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

料liàoguess
想xiǎngthink

料 and 想 both mean to guess or think, so together they express expecting or presuming something.

Characters in this word

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

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →

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 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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