空想 kōngxiǎng daydream
daydream; fantasy; to fantasize
How to remember 空想: 空 empty + 想 think about = daydream.
Characters
How it is used
- Idle daydreaming or wishful thinking with no basis in reality - 别空想了,行动吧 (bié kōngxiǎng le, xíngdòng ba) stop fantasizing, take action.
- Carries a critical edge (impractical, castle-in-the-air), unlike neutral 想象 (xiǎngxiàng, to imagine).
- Note 空想社会主义 = 'utopian socialism' as a fixed term.