Chinese word

念头

Pronunciation

Pinyinniàn tou

Meaning

  • nounidea

Example

我有个念头，想开一家咖啡店。wǒ yǒu gè niàn tou xiǎng kāi yì jiā kā fēi diàn

I have an idea: I want to open a coffee shop.

Illustration for 念头 (idea)

More examples

读完这本书，他脑海里冒出一个念头，想把故事改编成剧本。dú wán zhè běn shū tā náo hǎi lǐ mào chū yí gè niàn tou xiǎng bǎ gù shì gǎi biān chéng jù běn

When he finished the book, he got an idea: he wanted to turn the story into a screenplay.

Core concept

A mental spark that can remain a passing thought or develop into an intention.

Common phrases

  • 产生念头chǎn shēng niàn tou

    get an idea

  • 萌生念头méng shēng niàn tou

    come up with an idea

  • 打消念头dǎ xiāo niàn tou

    abandon the idea

Similar words

想法xiáng fǎ: A thought formed about a person, matter, or situation.
主意zhǔ yì: A proposed way to act or deal with a problem.
打算dǎ suàn: A plan made with expected gains and losses in mind.
计划jì huà: A prepared plan that defines a purpose and the steps for carrying it out.

Definition in Chinese

心里产生的想法或打算，既可指一时的灵感，也可指较明确的意图。xīn lǐ chǎn shēng de xiáng fǎ huò dǎ suàn jì kě zhǐ yì shí de líng gǎn yě kě zhǐ jiào míng què de yì tú

Word origin

念头 (niàntou, "idea") uses 念 (niàn, "thought") plus 头 (tou, "noun-forming suffix") to name a thought or intention arising in the mind.

Usage tips

  • When a speaker introduces a possibility in casual conversation, this word often keeps the proposal open to change instead of presenting a final decision.

Other meanings

  • thoughtnoun
  • intentionnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 念头儿niàn tóurthoughtnoun

Word lists with this word