Chinese–EnglishWith examples

以为

yǐ wéi · yi wei

Traditional 以為

HSK 2Old HSK 3

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to think (i.e. to take it to be true that ...) (Usually there is an implication that the notion is mistaken – except when expressing one's own current opinion.)
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In a conversation

0:15 cartoon

The bookshop is closed

  1. Liangliang

    书店(shūdiàn)怎么(zěnme)还(hái)没(méi)开门(kāimén)？

    Why isn't the bookshop open yet?

  2. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)以为(yǐwéi)九(jiǔ)点(diǎn)就(jiù)开(kāi)。

    I thought it opened at nine.

  3. Liangliang

    门(mén)上(shàng)写(xiě)着(zhe)十(shí)点(diǎn)开(kāi)。

    The door says it opens at ten.

  4. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)怎么(zěnme)不(bù)早(zǎo)说(shuō)？

    Why didn't you say so earlier?

  5. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)以为(yǐwéi)你(nǐ)看(kàn)过(guò)了(le)。

    I thought you had looked.

  6. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)也(yě)以为(yǐwéi)你(nǐ)会(huì)看(kàn)。

    I thought you would look too.

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

我(wǒ)以(yǐ)为(wéi)你(nǐ)想(xiǎng)见(jiàn)我(wǒ)呢(ne)。

I thought that you wanted to see me.

Tatoeba: Chinese by sunnywqing · English by Scott · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

他(tā)以(yǐ)为(wéi)今(jīn)天(tiān)不(bú)上(shàng)班(bān)，结(jié)果(guǒ)迟(chí)到(dào)了(le)。

He thought there was no work today, so he ended up being late.

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How to write

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
以
yǐ

to use; by means of

为
wèi

because of; for

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

More words starting with YExplore words in context