Meanings of 夢
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About 夢
Podcast: 夢
Podcast: 夢
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AI Study Notes for 夢
夢 (mèng) vs 幻 (huàn) — use 夢 when referring to dreams during sleep or aspirations, while 幻 is for illusions or phantoms.
Be mindful of the tone; 'mèng' has a falling tone, which can be confused with 'máng' (busy). Common collocations include '做夢' (to dream) and '夢想' (dream/aspiration). This word is used in both formal and informal contexts.
Though 夢 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to vocabulary related to emotions and aspirations, such as '希望' (hope) and '目標' (goal). Focus on using it in sentences that describe both sleep dreams and personal aspirations.
Learners often confuse 夢 with '夢想' (mèngxiǎng), which specifically means 'dream/aspiration.' For example, saying '我有夢' (Wǒ yǒu mèng) instead of '我有夢想' (Wǒ yǒu mèngxiǎng) when expressing one's aspirations is incorrect.
Pronunciation of 夢
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Etymology of 夢
Simplified form of 夢, which is a pictograph of a person lying in bed dreaming. 夕 (dusk) represents the meaning, and 林 is an abbreviated form of the top half of the traditional character 夢.
Two eyes 艹 shut 罒 at night 夕
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 夢
Simplified form of 夢, which is a pictograph of a person lying in bed dreaming. 夕 (dusk) represents the meaning, and 林 is an abbreviated form of the top half of the traditional character 夢.
- 1The giveawayTwo eyes 艹 shut 罒 at night 夕
- 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 夢? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 夢
Identify the Components
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How to say dream in Chinese
“dream” in Chinese is夢
The character 夢 (mèng) means 'dream' and refers to the experiences and sensations that occur during sleep, as well as aspirations or desires one hopes to achieve. It can be used in both literal and metaphorical contexts, such as discussing dreams during sleep or one's dreams for the future.
When to use 夢
Be mindful of the tone; 'mèng' has a falling tone, which can be confused with 'máng' (busy). Common collocations include '做夢' (to dream) and '夢想' (dream/aspiration). This word is used in both formal and informal contexts.
夢 or something close to it
夢 (mèng) vs 幻 (huàn) — use 夢 when referring to dreams during sleep or aspirations, while 幻 is for illusions or phantoms.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 夢 with '夢想' (mèngxiǎng), which specifically means 'dream/aspiration.' For example, saying '我有夢' (Wǒ yǒu mèng) instead of '我有夢想' (Wǒ yǒu mèngxiǎng) when expressing one's aspirations is incorrect.
Write 夢
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Practice writing 夢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 夢
Compound Meaning
What does 梦 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 夢
It is pronounced as 'mèng' with a falling tone.
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