虚拟 (xūnǐ) as a verb means 'to imagine or conceive in one's mind', overlapping with 想象 (xiǎngxiàng) and 设想 (shèxiǎng). However, 虚拟 often implies a more deliberate, constructed mental scenario (like a hypothetical or fictional world), while 想象 is broader (any act of imagination) and 设想 is more about planning or speculation. As an adjective (HSK7 focus), it means 'virtual' in computing or 'fictitious/hypothetical'.