think....

[Mike]

Can someone tell me something about the diffrence between ren4 wei2 (认为) and xiang3 (想)? For example the correct use in company of a friend or in a business setting - if that makes any sense.... For example the difference in the use of '你怎么认为...' and '你怎么想的...'.

Cheers!

[fireball9261]

'你怎么认为...' - What is your thought about this matter? 认为 ren4 wei has the meaning of your thoughts, your feelings, your beliefs, etc. This is about your thought itself, but not the act of thinking.

'你怎么想的...'. - How can you think this way? 想 xiang3 has the meaning of consider. It's more like the act of using the brain to think, but not the actual thought itself.

[Myself]

Did you mean to say: How do you think of this? 你認為這樣怎樣? Or, 你覺得這樣怎樣?

If you want to say: What makes you think so? You can either say: 你怎麼會這樣想? or 你怎麼會這樣認為. In this case, 想 is interchangeable with 認為.

[muddy]

There is not much difference between them.Actually,in daily life,they are the same meaning.Just two different kinds of speaking.

[SChinFChin]

Lets take the following scenario.

If a salesman comes to your office, says to you "after careful analysis, we consider (认为) this product is the best for your company blah blah blah...."

versus

'"We think (想) this product is the best for your company blah blah blah...."

Think about it!!! 想一想!!!

Which one guy gave you a better pitch?? The guy who considered things, or someone who just thinks it will??

Then, after you THOUGHT ABOUT IT,

You would then 认为 the FIRST guy has the better product. Right??

Now if you told me, I think (想) the first guy is better, I might respond, what make you think so??

If you told me instead, I consider (认为) the first guy has a better product, I would think (想) that you thought about it.

See the difference??

Are you going to 想一想? or are you going to 认为认为.

Oh wait a minute, I guess these two terms are not interchangeable!!

[fireball9261]

Wow! Excellent examples, SChinFChin. My brain was a pile of ... mud when I try to think of how to separate the two. You did a great job!

[mythia]

great post schinfchin, r u a chinese btw?

just want to add that xiang is more colloquial than renwei, the later sounds quite formal while people use xiang on a daily basis.

[SChinFChin]

Fireball9261

Wow! Excellent examples, SChinFChin. My brain was a pile of ... mud when I try to think of how to separate the two. You did a great job

Thanks

Mythia

great post schinfchin, r u a chinese btw?

just want to add that xiang is more colloquial than renwei, the later sounds quite formal while people use xiang on a daily basis.

Thanks. I am Chinese.

BTW. I had a similar discussion at my business about the differences among 高興, 快樂, and 滿意. I wrote a "press release" for publication in a local newspaper saying our customers are very "高興" (happy).

Got someone to review it for me, advised me that 滿意 is a much better choice though 高興, and 快樂 is more colloquial for happy, and meant almost the same thing, but, 滿意, though more formal, signifies a deeper sense of appreciation that causes people to be "高興".

The fellow reviewing it worked for the Guangzhou TV station writing ads at one time, so am I going to argue with him?

It's a similar situation with 认为 and 想, where they are similar but not always interchangeable, where 认为 requires a higher level of thought.

[fireball9261]

SChinFChin, wow again!

[mythia]

Speaking of which, I am a bit curious as to know if Chinese speaking forumers outnumber non-native ones on this site. Anyway...on 高兴 vs. 满意, it may be said that when it comes to customers, 顾客非常满意 has been almost a fixed expression.

[fireball9261]

I am a bit curious as to know if Chinese speaking forumers outnumber non-native ones on this site.

Do you mean native speaking or just Chinese speaking? If it's native speaking, I think it is the other way around. I don't think there are that many native Chinese speakers on this forum or am I wrong?