How to say “meaning” in Chinese

意思
yìsi

meaning

noun · HSK 2 · topic “Studies and tasks”

“Meaning” in Chinese is 意思, yì si: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

意思 is read yì si: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

yì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”
si — neutral toneshort and unstressed

How to write it

意
yì — idea, meaning

Below, 心 “heart”.

思
sī — think

It also has the “heart” 心. In 意思 it is read with the neutral tone.

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 “意思”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 意思. Tap the sound icon to listen.

  • 这个词是什么意思zhègecíshìshénmeyìsiWhat does this word mean?
  • 这个电影很有意思。zhègediànyǐnghěnyǒuyìsiThis movie is really interesting.
  • 你觉得有意思吗?nǐjuédeyǒuyìsimaDo you find it interesting?
  • 不好意思我来晚了bùhǎoyìsi,wǒláiwǎnleSorry, I'm late.
  • 这个句子是什么意思zhègejùzishìshénmeyìsiWhat does this sentence mean?
  • 我完全不明白你的意思wǒwánquánbùmíngbainǐdeyìsiI have absolutely no idea what you mean.

More words from the lesson “The exam”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “meaning” in Chinese?

“Meaning” in Chinese is 意思, pinyin yìsi.

What does 意思 mean?

意思 (yìsi) means “meaning”.

How do you write 意思?

意思 is 2 characters: 意 (yì) — idea, meaning; 思 (sī) — think. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 意思?

意思 is read yìsi. Tones: yì — fourth tone, si — neutral tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“meaning” in the lesson “The exam”

This word is from the topic “Studies and tasks” of HSK 2. 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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