Chinese word

以为

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǐ wéi

Meaning

  • verbthink

Example

我以为他不会来。wǒ yǐ wéi tā bú huì lái

I thought he wouldn't come.

Illustration for 以为 (think)

More examples

我以为他是老师。wǒ yǐ wéi tā shì lǎo shī

I thought he was a teacher.

Core concept

Turns an unconfirmed idea into a belief about what is true.

Common phrases

  • 以为是yǐ wéi shì

    mistakenly think it is

  • 以为会yǐ wéi huì

    mistakenly think it will

Similar words

想xiǎng: Having a thought or idea in mind, often for a short time.
觉得jué de: Feeling that something is so based on personal experience or impression.
认为rèn wéi: Considering something true based on reasons or a considered judgment.

Definition in Chinese

把某事当作真实或既成事实来看，表示一种判断或推测，有时暗含错误的信念或误解。bǎ mǒu shì dàng zuò zhēn shí huò jì chéng shì shí lái kàn biǎo shì yì zhǒng pàn duàn huò tuī cè yǒu shí àn hán cuò wù de xìn niàn huò wù jiě

Word origin

The compound joins 以 (yǐ, "take") with 为 (wéi, "regard as"), expressing the act of taking something to be the case.

Usage tips

  • English "I thought" can describe a correct belief, but this word often prepares the listener for a surprise or correction in the next part of the sentence.

Other meanings

  • mistakenly believeverb

Word lists with this word