How to say “ideal” in Chinese
ideal, dream; ideal
“Ideal” in Chinese is 理想, lǐ xiǎng: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
理想 is read lǐ xiǎng: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
Two third tones in a row: the first one is said as a second tone, but it is still written as a third.
How to write it
On the left, 王 “jade”; on the right, 里 lǐ hints at the sound.
Below, 心 “heart”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “理想”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 理想. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 不要放弃自己的理想búyàofàngqìzìjǐdelǐxiǎngDon't give up on your dream.
- 经理想跟你谈话。jīnglǐxiǎnggēnnǐtánhuàThe manager wants to talk with you.
- 她的理想是从事外交工作tādelǐxiǎngshìcóngshìwàijiāogōngzuòHer dream is to work in diplomacy.
More words from the lesson “Dreams and ideals”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “ideal” in Chinese?
“Ideal” in Chinese is 理想, pinyin lǐxiǎng.
What does 理想 mean?
理想 (lǐxiǎng) means “ideal, dream; ideal”.
How do you write 理想?
理想 is 2 characters: 理 (lǐ) — order; manage; 想 (xiǎng) — want, think. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 理想?
理想 is read lǐxiǎng. Tones: lǐ — third tone, xiǎng — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“ideal” in the lesson “Dreams and ideals”
This word is from the topic “Feelings and mood” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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