以为
Traditional: 以為
yǐ wéi HSK 4

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

我以为他是老师。
Wǒ yǐwéi tā shì lǎoshī.
I thought he was a teacher.
她以为今天下雨。
Tā yǐwéi jīntiān xiàyǔ.
She thought it would rain today.
我以为你回家了。
Wǒ yǐwéi nǐ huí jiā le.
I thought you went home.
我以为你走了。
Wǒ yǐwéi nǐ zǒu le.
I thought you left.
他以为我生气了。
Tā yǐwéi wǒ shēngqì le.
He thought I was angry.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 以为 as 'I thought... but I was wrong.' The character 以 can remind you of 'assume' (as in 'I assumed'), and 为 means 'to do' or 'to be,' together forming 'to assume to be'—often incorrectly. Associate it with situations where you realize your assumption was off.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both spoken and written Chinese, in informal and formal contexts. It often appears in past-tense narratives to express a mistaken assumption, followed by a correction or revelation of the truth. Common in everyday conversations and storytelling.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used in the pattern: 'Subject + 以为 + [incorrect belief], 其实/但是 + [reality].' Example: 我以为他很忙,其实他很闲。 (I thought he was busy, but actually he is free.) It can also stand alone as in '别以为...' (Don't think that...).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese communication, using 以为 can soften the expression of a mistake, making it less direct or confrontational. It's a polite way to acknowledge one's own error without sounding overly critical, aligning with cultural values of humility and harmony.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 认为 (rènwéi), which means 'to think' or 'to believe' in a general, often neutral sense without implying error, 以为 specifically conveys that the belief was wrong. For instance, 我认为他是对的 (I think he is right) vs. 我以为他是对的 (I thought he was right, but he isn't).

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