Japanese Conversation · Level 65
75 words
Japanese word
想像
Pronunciation
Romajisōzō
Meaning
- nounimagination
Example
それは私の想像です。so re wa watashi no sō zō de su
That is my imagination.
More examples
その映画は想像以上に面白いです。so no ei ga wa sō zō i jō ni omo shiro i de su
The movie is more interesting than I imagined.
Core concept
Creates an inner picture of something absent, including a possible event, a memory, or an imaginary scene.
Common phrases
想像の世界sō zō no se kai
world of imagination
想像以上sō zō i jō
beyond imagination
想像どおりsō zō dō ri
as imagined
Similar words
空想kūsō: A scene or idea formed freely in the mind, often without a basis in reality.
予想yosō: A belief about what is likely to happen in the future.
Definition in Japanese
現実にはないものや、まだ起きていないことを、心の中に思い浮かべること。gen jitsu ni wa na i mo no ya ma da o ki te i na i ko to o kokoro no naka ni omo i u ka be ru ko to
Word origin
想 (sō, "thought") + 像 (zō, "image") is the Sino-Japanese compound 想像 (sōzō), whose parts express the idea of a mental image.
Usage tips
- A speaker can use 想像 (sōzō) for an imagined future event or an invented scene, so the word applies beyond artistic creativity.
Opposites
- 現実genjitsurealitynoun
Related words
- 想像するsōzōsuruimagineverb
- 想像力sōzōryokuimaginationnoun