想そう像ぞう

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う

ぞ

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Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

想像する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	想そう像ぞうする	想そう像ぞうしない
Polite	想そう像ぞうします	想そう像ぞうしません
Past polite	想そう像ぞうしました	想そう像ぞうしませんでした
Past	想そう像ぞうした	想そう像ぞうしなかった
Te-form	想そう像ぞうして	想そう像ぞうしないで
Desire	想そう像ぞうしたい	想そう像ぞうしたくない
Potential	想そう像ぞうできる	想そう像ぞうできない
Passive	想そう像ぞうされる	想そう像ぞうされない
Causative	想そう像ぞうさせる	想そう像ぞうさせない
Causative passive	想そう像ぞうさせられる	想そう像ぞうさせられない
Volitional	想そう像ぞうしよう
Polite volitional	想そう像ぞうしましょう
Imperative	想そう像ぞうしろ	想そう像ぞうするな
Conditional	想そう像ぞうすれば	想そう像ぞうしなければ
Tara conditional	想そう像ぞうしたら	想そう像ぞうしなかったら

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

imagination; supposition; guess

Covers both creative mental imagery and forming a tentative belief about something unknown. Often used with する to mean 'imagine' or 'suppose'.

彼かれの話はなしは想そう像ぞう以い上じょうに面おも白しろかった。
His story was more interesting than I had imagined.
未み来らいの技ぎ術じゅつを想そう像ぞうするのは楽たのしい。
It's fun to imagine future technology.
その結けっ果かは想そう像ぞうできた。
I could guess the outcome.

See all 153 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉を想そう像ぞうするto imagine something (a scene, situation, or outcome)
彼かれが驚おどろいた顔かおを想そう像ぞうすると笑わらってしまう。
I can't help laughing when I imagine his surprised face.
想そう像ぞう以い上じょうに〈形けい容よう詞し〉more ... than one imagined
試し験けんは想そう像ぞう以い上じょうに難むずかしかった。
The exam was harder than I had imagined.
〈事こと〉を想そう像ぞうで補おぎなうto fill in the missing parts of something with imagination
資し料りょうがないので、当とう時じの様よう子すを想そう像ぞうで補おぎなうしかない。
Since there are no records, we can only fill in what things were like back then through imagination.

Expressions

想そう像ぞうがつくbe imaginable; be conceivable
想そう像ぞうしにくいhard to imagine; difficult to picture
想そう像ぞうに任まかせるleave to one's imagination
想そう像ぞうを絶ぜっするbeyond imagination; unimaginable
想そう像ぞうに難かたくないeasy to imagine; not hard to imagine
想そう像ぞうを膨ふくらませるlet one's imagination run wild; inspire the imagination

Kanji

想idea, thought, conception
像statue, picture, image

Related words· 11

予よ想そうN2
予想 is a prediction based on evidence or reasoning, while 想像 can be a purely creative or speculative mental image.
空くう想そうN2
空想 refers to fanciful daydreaming detached from reality, whereas 想像 can also be a realistic mental picture of something plausible.
推すい測そくN1
推測 is a logical guess about facts based on available clues, while 想像 covers broader mental imagery, not just inference.
描えがくN4
想像する means to imagine something mentally without any physical or verbal expression, whereas 描く in this sense implies forming a vivid, picture-like mental image.

Show 7 more

仮か想そう
想像 is general imagination or forming a mental image, while 仮想 specifically denotes a hypothetical or virtual construct, often for technical or simulated purposes.
思おもい描えがく
想像する is the general, everyday word for 'imagine', while 思い描く suggests actively forming a detailed, vivid mental picture.
思おもい浮うかべるN2
想像する is the general verb for imagining anything, while 思い浮かべる stresses forming a concrete visual image in one's mind.
憶おく測そく
想像 covers imagining or picturing things in general, whereas 憶測 is specifically an unfounded guess about facts or a situation.
イメージN3
想像 emphasizes the act of imagining or picturing something in your mind, whereas イメージ refers more to the resulting mental picture itself.
妄もう想そう
想像 is neutral, everyday imagination used for anything from planning to storytelling, whereas 妄想 specifically suggests an unrealistic or irrational fixation.
思おもうN5
想像する specifically means to imagine or picture something, while 思う in this sense is a lighter, more general way of supposing.

Don't confuse with

妄もう想そう
妄想 means a delusion or irrational fixed belief, while 想像 is a normal, conscious act of picturing or supposing something.
肖しょう像ぞう
肖像 (a portrait or likeness) sounds very similar to 想像 (imagination), but the two words are unrelated in meaning.
想そう定ていN1
想像 means 'imagination' or 'to imagine' freely, while 想定 means to set a specific working assumption for practical purposes.
連れん想そうN3
連想 is triggered by an external stimulus that reminds you of something else, while 想像 is actively picturing or imagining something in your mind, even without a trigger.

Word family

想そう像ぞう力りょくN3
imagination; power of imagination
想そう像ぞう上じょう
imaginary; in one's imagination
想そう像ぞう図ず
artist's impression; imaginary rendering
理り想そう像ぞう
idealized image; ideal picture
想そう像ぞう妊にん娠しん
false pregnancy; pseudocyesis
想そう像ぞう通どおり
as imagined; as expected; just as one pictured

Etymology

From 想 (idea, thought) with 像 (image, figure), literally 'forming a mental image'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination naturally suggests creating an image in the mind.