Chinese word

沉思

Pronunciation

Pinyinchén sī

Meaning

  • verbponder

Example

接到批评后，他静静地沉思了一会儿。jiē dào pī píng hòu tā jìng jìng dì chén sī le yí huìr

After receiving the criticism, he quietly pondered for a while.

Illustration for 沉思 (ponder)

More examples

遇到难题，他习惯先沉思再动手解决。yù dào nán tí tā xí guàn xiān chén sī zài dòng shǒu jiě jué

When he encounters a difficult problem, he usually ponders first and then starts solving it.

Core concept

A mind sinks inward and stays focused on one idea, often in quiet stillness.

Common phrases

  • 独自沉思dú zì chén sī

    ponder alone

  • 长时间沉思cháng shí jiān chén sī

    ponder for a long time

Similar words

思考sī kǎo: Think through facts or information in an organized, logical way.
考虑kǎo lǜ: Think about possible results or effects before making a judgment or decision.
思索sī suǒ: Explore a problem's deeper nature or meaning through quiet, deep thought.

Definition in Chinese

深入内心思考，专注于某个问题或想法，常以沉默或静坐表现出来。shēn rù nèi xīn sī kǎo zhuān zhù yú mǒu gè wèn tí huò xiáng fǎ cháng yǐ chén mò huò jìng zuò biǎo xiàn chū lái

Word origin

沉 (chén, "sink") + 思 (sī, "think") combines a downward motion with thought, suggesting attention settling deeply on an idea.

Usage tips

  • For everyday conversation, 沉思 (chénsī, "ponder") often sounds literary or formal, so it fits reflective narration and serious discussion better than ordinary small talk.

Other meanings

  • be lost in thoughtverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 沉思熟虑chén sī shú lǜconsider carefullyidiom

Word lists with this word