ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

meaning / idea / intention

13 strokes · 音 (sound) + 心 (heart) — the sound the heart makes · HSK 2

Where 意 comes from

意 stacks 音 (sound) over 心 (heart): the heart's sound — what you mean before you say it. Few characters define themselves so poetically: intention is the voice inside the chest.

意 in Chinese culture

意 carries Chinese's inner life: 意思 (meaning — and much more), 同意 (agree: same-intention), 满意 (satisfied: full-hearted), 有意思 (interesting: has meaning). The phrase 不好意思 ('embarrassed / excuse me') is the everyday social lubricant. And 意思 itself is famously slippery: 小意思 (a trifle/small gift), 不够意思 (not loyal enough as a friend), 有点意思 (getting interesting) — a whole social code in one word.

Example

意思 yìsi — meaning

这个字是什么意思?
Zhège zì shì shénme yìsi?
What does this character mean?

How to remember it

The sound 音 of the heart 心 — what you MEAN.

The untranslatable ladder of 意思: 有意思 interesting → 小意思 no big deal → 不好意思 embarrassed → 不够意思 not a true friend.

Same sound, different tones

1st yī
medicine
2nd yí
to move
4th yì
meaning

Words unlocked by 意

意思 yìsi
meaning
同意 tóngyì
to agree
不好意思 bù hǎoyìsi
excuse me / embarrassed
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS