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空想家 (kōng xiǎng jiā) — someone who indulges in impractical fantasies, daydreamer; (sometimes) visionary, idealist (with a hint of impracticality)

Definition

A 空想家 is a person with grand ideas or fantasies but no practical action — 'idle dreamer' is more negative than 'visionary' or 'idealist', which suggest positive ambition. Always paired with the sense that the ideas stay in the head.

noun
someone who indulges in impractical fantasies, daydreamer(sometimes) visionaryidealist (with a hint of impracticality)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 空想家，。
    Tā zhǐ shì yí gè kōng xiǎng jiā, cóng bù shí jì xíng dòng.
    He's nothing but a dreamer who never takes practical action.
  • 空想家，。
    Bié zài zuò kōng xiǎng jiā le, kāi shǐ gōng zuò ba.
    Stop being a daydreamer and start working.
  • 空想家。
    kōng xiǎng jiā Men wǎng wǎng zhǐ yǒu xiǎng fǎ méi yǒu xíng dòng.
    Visionaries often have ideas but no action.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

空想empty fantasy
空kōngempty想xiǎngthought/fancy
偏正Modifier + head
家jiāperson

'空想' means empty fantasy, and '家' means a person associated with it, forming a dreamer.

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.

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.

Open 空 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
People (General)Personality & Traits

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