(huàn xiǎng) - fantasy, to daydream in Mandarin
huànxiǎngTraditional: 幻想
Translation
fantasy, to daydream
Word origin
A compound of 幻 (huàn, illusory, unreal) and 想 (xiǎng, to think), so literally illusory thinking.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 幻 (huàn, illusion) + 想 (xiǎng, to think)
Stroke order
幻
想
Examples
。
That is only your fantasy.
。
He often daydreams about becoming a singer.
，。
Stop daydreaming and come back to reality.
。
This novel is full of fantasy.
。
I have a lot of daydreams about the future.
幻想 (huàn xiǎng) is a fantasy, and it works as a verb too: to fantasise, to daydream. The noun and the verb are the same two characters, so 他的幻想 is his fantasy and 他幻想 is he fantasises.
The trap is that it is not a compliment. English "dream" is warm, and 梦想 (mèng xiǎng) carries that warmth: an ambition worth chasing. 幻想 leans the other way, towards wishful thinking that will not happen. 别幻想了 is closer to "don't kid yourself" than "keep dreaming".
The neutral use survives in genre labels, where 科幻 (kē huàn) is science fiction and 幻想 is fantasy as a category of story rather than a personal delusion.
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幻想: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "幻想" (fantasy, to daydream): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 48.