想 — “to imagine / thought” in Japanese

Grade 3そう, そ

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to imagine / thought” in Japanese is 想, read sou, so (そう, そ). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 想像 (imagination).

Try it now

What does 想 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	想
Meaning	to imagine / thought
Readings	そう, そ
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	想像 (imagination)

How to read 想

想 is read sou (そう) or so (そ) depending on the word.

Words with 想

予想よそう
感想かんそう
想像そうぞう
幻想
妄想

Learn 想 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 想

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28