<p>Miss has 掛念, 想念 meaning.</p>

<p>Thinking has 思考, 思想, 想起 meaning.</p>

<p><strong>Example:</strong></p>

<p>I miss you. 我掛念你 / 我想你</p>

<p>I miss you so much. 我十分掛念你</p>

<p>I am thinking of you. 我想你 / 我想起你</p>

<p>I am thinking of your ear rings. 我想起你的耳環</p>

<p>I am thinking of my next year plan. 我正在思考來件</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-16T07:41:38.797Z
2013-08-16T07:41:38.797Z
Allen Chak
<p>"I miss you" is probably the best equivalent, but do be aware that it's often a bit stronger than the corresponding words in English, especially when you are talking to traditional people in China. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-22T21:10:21.840Z
2016-01-22T21:10:21.840Z
wqsdj
<p>In this case, miss equals to 想(念)，思念 while think of equals to 想到，想起. So 'I miss you' is the right choice. 'I think of you' means '我想起了你'. But sometimes 'I am thinking of you' is translated into ‘我想着你’.</p>

<p>When one say '我想你(+Adverbial)' or ‘我在想你(+Adverbial)’ as a sentence alone, it means that I miss you or I'm missing you. And when one say '我想你+...', it generally means 'I think you +...'. For example, 我想你很适合这项工作 means I think that you are fit to this work. Another example, 我想你在这个夜里 means I miss you in this night.</p>

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2013-08-13T03:31:13.030Z
Okay thanks, How would one express the 2nd statement correctly then?
50-3
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2013-08-13T03:42:59.087Z
Since 'think of' means 思考 or 考虑, one can use 考虑 to replace 想. But 想 is also suitable and has the same meaning as 考虑. 'I'm thinking of you whether suitable for this work' means  我在考虑/想你 是否适合这项工作。
Eden Harder
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2013-08-13T04:21:25.763Z
@50-3 "I'm thinking of you" would be "我在想你"/"我正在想你".
leesei
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2013-08-13T04:29:49.853Z
nope, you can ask any Chinese. We should not translate a sentence word by word, because there is no one-to-one corresponding of the words in two different language. The better translation is 我正在考虑你, for 我正在想你 has other meaning which will be confused.
Eden Harder
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2013-08-13T04:56:41.317Z
@leesei is correct. As a _complete_ sentence, "I'm thinking of you" can only mean that.
杨以轩
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2013-08-13T05:01:36.827Z
Yeah, but 我正在想你 as a complete sentence in Chinese equals to 'I'm missing you' rather than 'I'm thinking of you'.
Eden Harder
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2013-08-13T05:12:39.757Z
Nope, "I'm missing you" and "I'm thinking of you" mean the same thing. 我正在考虑你 cannot form a complete sentence and is not equivalent to "I'm thinking of you".
杨以轩
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2013-08-13T05:21:21.377Z
miss=think of in this case? If yes, then it is my fault.
Eden Harder
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2013-08-13T06:44:33.717Z
@QuestionOverflow ,leesei: I agree with both you. Eden Harder: I'm not quite sure you can say 我正在考虑你 in this context. Used alone will have a very specific meaning, probably something like "I'm pondering marrying you".
Luis Sep
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2013-08-13T06:58:22.763Z
@EdenHarder in the context of "I'm thinking of you", "think"="miss". "我正在考虑你" would be used in the context of job interview/recommendations, "I'm considering to hire/pick/choose you". luis-sep: "我正在考虑你" is more appropriate for choice amongst suitors, we Chinese seldom have the case of multiple proposer!!!
leesei
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2013-08-13T13:14:55.723Z
You can look for the difference of 'miss' and 'think of/about' in BaiDu. In my opinion, 我在想你=I miss you. But I respect yours.
Eden Harder
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2013-08-13T15:37:59.023Z
@EdenHarder: `miss=think of in this case?` The answer is yes as QuestionOverflow has pointed out. BTW, Baidu is just a search tool, so it would be better to reference the original webpage to prove your opinion.
Stan
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2013-08-13T20:19:31.943Z
"我想你在这个夜里" sounds awkward to my ears. It may work in poetic context like in poems and lyrics, but not in common conversation or writing.
NS.X.
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2013-08-14T02:09:09.443Z
@stan Yeah, what I mean is one'd better to reference the original webpage to prove his opinion through a search tool, for example, BaiDu. Thanks!
Eden Harder
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2013-08-14T02:11:13.847Z
@NS.X. You are right! It is lovers' murmur in my case.
Eden Harder
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2013-08-14T04:32:11.627Z
@EdenHarder: I mean, they're native English speakers, and very unlikely would misuse daily English. To refute their view points, the burden of proof seems on you. Meanwhile, the point is clear, "miss = think of **in this case**", we weren't talking about the difference between *miss* and *think of* in a general case.
Stan
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2013-08-14T05:23:46.320Z
@stan When I use google to translate 'think of' into Chinese, there only appears '想到，想起，想到的，觉得，想想' which are different from 'miss(想念，思念，挂念)'. I know the translation of 'thinking of' is '想着', e.g. the song 'thinking of you'(想着你). But another song 'I think of you' is translated into '想起你'. So all in all, in my opinion, 'I miss you' is the better choice for '我想你'. Any suggestion or correction is appreciated!
Eden Harder
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2013-08-14T06:23:10.970Z
@EdenHarder I know you're right in formal grammar, `想念miss` has a special meaning "long to see again"; however, what it expresses is a subjective feeling, i.e. "I'm thinking of you" ***can*** have a similar effect. The difference would only be in the intensity of the emotion.
Stan
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2013-08-14T06:42:38.640Z
@Stan That is the point. I agree with you.
Eden Harder
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2016-01-23T00:00:25.797Z
@NS.X. "I miss you in this night" could be 我在这个夜里很想你。
Potato Chip
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-13T03:00:49.983Z
2013-08-14T05:25:51.270Z
2013-08-14T05:25:51.270Z
Eden Harder
<p>When I started learning Chinese I was taught that this term would mean I miss you</p>

<p>However have recently seen this been translated different ways into English. </p>

<p>1st</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I miss you</p>
</blockquote>

<p>2nd</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I'm thinking of you</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I know the main word here is 想 and I understand it can be used to indicate <em>want, think, suppose, miss</em> depended upon context but for this i'm lost and wanted to seek your guidance on how to interpret this statement 我想你</p>

<translation>
how to correctly translate 我想你
# how to correctly translate 我想你

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-08-13)

When I started learning Chinese I was taught that this term would mean I miss you

However have recently seen this been translated different ways into English.

1st

> I miss you

2nd

> I'm thinking of you

I know the main word here is 想 and I understand it can be used to indicate *want, think, suppose, miss* depended upon context but for this i'm lost and wanted to seek your guidance on how to interpret this statement 我想你

**Tags:** translation


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-08-13. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

In this case, miss equals to 想(念)，思念 while think of equals to 想到，想起. So 'I miss you' is the right choice. 'I think of you' means '我想起了你'. But sometimes 'I am thinking of you' is translated into ‘我想着你’.

When one say '我想你(+Adverbial)' or ‘我在想你(+Adverbial)’ as a sentence alone, it means that I miss you or I'm missing you. And when one say '我想你+...', it generally means 'I think you +...'. For example, 我想你很适合这项工作 means I think that you are fit to this work. Another example, 我想你在这个夜里 means I miss you in this night.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Okay thanks, How would one express the 2nd statement correctly then?  
> **username_3**: Since 'think of' means 思考 or 考虑, one can use 考虑 to replace 想. But 想 is also suitable and has the same meaning as 考虑. 'I'm thinking of you whether suitable for this work' means  我在考虑/想你 是否适合这项工作。  
> **username_4**: @username_0 "I'm thinking of you" would be "我在想你"/"我正在想你".  
> **username_3**: nope, you can ask any Chinese. We should not translate a sentence word by word, because there is no one-to-one corresponding of the words in two different language. The better translation is 我正在考虑你, for 我正在想你 has other meaning which will be confused.  
> **username_5**: @username_4 is correct. As a _complete_ sentence, "I'm thinking of you" can only mean that.  
> **username_3**: Yeah, but 我正在想你 as a complete sentence in Chinese equals to 'I'm missing you' rather than 'I'm thinking of you'.  
> **username_5**: Nope, "I'm missing you" and "I'm thinking of you" mean the same thing. 我正在考虑你 cannot form a complete sentence and is not equivalent to "I'm thinking of you".  
> **username_3**: miss=think of in this case? If yes, then it is my fault.  
> **username_6**: @QuestionOverflow ,username_4: I agree with both you. username_3 username_3: I'm not quite sure you can say 我正在考虑你 in this context. Used alone will have a very specific meaning, probably something like "I'm pondering marrying you".  
> **username_4**: @username_3 in the context of "I'm thinking of you", "think"="miss". "我正在考虑你" would be used in the context of job interview/recommendations, "I'm considering to hire/pick/choose you". username_6: "我正在考虑你" is more appropriate for choice amongst suitors, we Chinese seldom have the case of multiple proposer!!!  
> **username_3**: You can look for the difference of 'miss' and 'think of/about' in BaiDu. In my opinion, 我在想你=I miss you. But I respect yours.  
> **username_7**: @username_3: `miss=think of in this case?` The answer is yes as QuestionOverflow has pointed out. BTW, Baidu is just a search tool, so it would be better to reference the original webpage to prove your opinion.  
> **username_8**: "我想你在这个夜里" sounds awkward to my ears. It may work in poetic context like in poems and lyrics, but not in common conversation or writing.  
> **username_3**: @username_7 Yeah, what I mean is one'd better to reference the original webpage to prove his opinion through a search tool, for example, BaiDu. Thanks!  
> **username_3**: @NS.X. You are right! It is lovers' murmur in my case.  
> **username_7**: @username_3: I mean, they're native English speakers, and very unlikely would misuse daily English. To refute their view points, the burden of proof seems on you. Meanwhile, the point is clear, "miss = think of **in this case**", we weren't talking about the difference between *miss* and *think of* in a general case.  
> **username_3**: @username_7 When I use google to translate 'think of' into Chinese, there only appears '想到，想起，想到的，觉得，想想' which are different from 'miss(想念，思念，挂念)'. I know the translation of 'thinking of' is '想着', e.g. the song 'thinking of you'(想着你). But another song 'I think of you' is translated into '想起你'. So all in all, in my opinion, 'I miss you' is the better choice for '我想你'. Any suggestion or correction is appreciated!  
> **username_7**: @username_3 I know you're right in formal grammar, `想念miss` has a special meaning "long to see again"; however, what it expresses is a subjective feeling, i.e. "I'm thinking of you" ***can*** have a similar effect. The difference would only be in the intensity of the emotion.  
> **username_3**: @username_7 That is the point. I agree with you.  
> **username_9**: @NS.X. "I miss you in this night" could be 我在这个夜里很想你。  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2013-08-16. Score: 5

Miss has 掛念, 想念 meaning.

Thinking has 思考, 思想, 想起 meaning.

**Example:**

I miss you. 我掛念你 / 我想你

I miss you so much. 我十分掛念你

I am thinking of you. 我想你 / 我想起你

I am thinking of your ear rings. 我想起你的耳環

I am thinking of my next year plan. 我正在思考來件


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-01-22. Score: 3

"I miss you" is probably the best equivalent, but do be aware that it's often a bit stronger than the corresponding words in English, especially when you are talking to traditional people in China.


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