Chinese word

主意

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhǔ yì

Meaning

  • nounidea

Example

你有什么主意吗？nǐ yǒu shén me zhǔ yì ma

Do you have any ideas?

Illustration for 主意 (idea)

More examples

我有个主意，我们可以试试看。wǒ yǒu gè zhǔ yì wǒ men ké yǐ shì shì kàn

I have an idea; we can give it a try.

Core concept

A central thought that gives a person a way forward in handling a matter.

Common phrases

  • 出主意chū zhǔ yì

    offer an idea

  • 有个主意yǒu gè zhǔ yì

    have an idea

Similar words

想法xiáng fǎ: A thought or idea that comes to mind.
意见yì jiàn: An opinion or assessment about a matter.
打算dǎ suàn: A plan or intention for what to do next.
办法bàn fǎ: A way or method for solving a problem.

Definition in Chinese

指为处理事务想出的打算、方案或看法，可指临时的想法也可指较成熟的计划，常见于口语。zhǐ wèi chú lǐ shì wù xiǎng chū de dǎ suàn fāng àn huò kàn fǎ kě zhǐ lín shí de xiáng fǎ yě kě zhǐ jiào chéng shú de jì huà cháng jiàn yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

主意 (zhǔyì, "idea") combines 主 (zhǔ, "main") and 意 (yì, "thought"), framing an idea as the main thought behind a decision or course of action.

Usage tips

  • In spoken exchanges, a question asking for this often seeks a usable suggestion for a practical problem, so a brief proposal is a natural reply.

Other meanings

  • opinionnoun

Word lists with this word