念头 (niàn tou) — thought, idea, intention

Definition

念头 (niàn tou) refers to a thought or idea that comes into one's mind, often fleeting or sudden. It differs from 思想 (sī xiǎng), which means deeper, systematic thinking or ideology, and from 心思 (xīn si), which refers to one's state of mind or mental effort. 念头 is more about the occurrence of an idea rather than sustained thinking or intention.

noun

thoughtideaintention

Examples

念头。
Tā zuìjìn yǒu yí gè qíguài de niàn tou.
He recently had a strange thought.
念头。
Zhège niàn tou zài wǒ xīnlǐ hěn jiǔ le.
This idea has been in my heart for a long time.
念头。
Wǒ cónglái méiyǒu guò zhèyàng de niàn tou.
I have never had such an idea.

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