空想 (kōng xiǎng) — (noun) fantasy, unrealistic idea; (verb) to fan… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

空想 means idle fantasy with no basis in reality — stronger and more dismissive than 想象 ('to imagine'). Like 幻想, it's unrealistic, but 空想 emphasizes empty, idle daydreaming rather than creative imagination.

noun

fantasyunrealistic idea

verb

to fantasizeto engage in wishful thinking

Examples

空想，。
Bié zài kōng xiǎng le, miàn duì xiàn shí ba.
Stop daydreaming and face reality.
空想，。
Tā de jì huà wán quán shì kōng xiǎng, bù kě néng shí xiàn.
His plan is pure fantasy—it can't be realized.
空想，。
Yǔ qí kōng xiǎng, bù rú xiàn zài jiù dòng shǒu shì shì.
Rather than daydream, you might as well start trying right now.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

空kōngempty/unreal

想xiǎngthinking

空 “empty/unreal” and 想 “thinking” combine to mean a fantasy.

Characters in this word

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

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

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

相心想

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Thinking & Cognition

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