- Basic forms
- 想う — to think; to feel; to hold in one’s heart / base form
- 想います — (I) think; feel / masu form
- 想った — thought; felt / ta form
- 想って — think/feel and … / te-form
- 想わない — do not think / do not feel / negative form
- 想えば — if (you) think / feel / conditional
- 想え — think!; feel! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 想いたい — want to think / want to feel / 〜たい form
- 想える — can think; can feel / potential
- 想えた — was able to think / realize / past potential
- 想えない — cannot think; cannot feel / negative potential
- More
- あなたを想う — to think of you; to hold you in my thoughts
- 深く想っている — thinking deeply; holding strong feelings
- 想われている — to be thought of / cherished / passive
想う(おもう) is a godan verb. It often carries a more emotional or reflective nuance than 思う — used for heartfelt thoughts, memories, and personal feelings.
- 想像 — imagination
- 理想 — ideal
- 発想 — idea, conception
- 感想 — impression, thought
- 空想 — daydream, fantasy
More examples ▼
想 is made of 相 (appearance, mutual) and 心 (heart). It conveys the act of thinking with the heart — imagining, feeling, or remembering something deeply.
彼のことを想っています。
I’m thinking about him.
想像してみてください。
Please try to imagine it.
