Japanese

おもう
Meaning: to think of; to imagine; to feel
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 想う 想わない
Polite 想います 想いません
Past 想った 想わなかった
Polite + Past 想いました 想いませんでした
Te-form 想って 想わなくて
Potential 想える 想えない
Passive 想われる 想われない
Causative 想わせる 想わせない
Causative + Passive 想わされる 想わされない
Imperative 想え 想うな

Handwriting

想
う

Example sentences

Thinking of my parents back home, I wrote a letter.
彼女を想うと、胸がくるおしいほど痛む。
When I think of her, my chest aches to an agonizing degree.
「雨霖鈴曲」は唐の玄宗皇帝が楊貴妃を想って作った曲だ。
‘Urinreikyoku’ is a song said to have been composed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in memory of Yang Guifei.
夜空に浮かぶ玉蟾金兎を眺めながら、故郷を想う。
Thinking of home while gazing at the moon floating in the night sky.

Usage Notes

Often used for subjective, emotional, or imaginative thinking, rather than purely logical reasoning.

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