tưởng là
Definition
- Phrasal Verb:
- To think that / to believe that: Expresses an assumption, belief, or thought about a situation that is later revealed to be incorrect or uncertain. It indicates a mistaken or unverified mental state.
- To imagine that / to suppose that: Used to convey a personal impression or hypothesis about what is or was true.
Usage Examples
- Phrasal Verb:
- Tôi tưởng là anh đã về nhà rồi. (I thought that you had already gone home.)
- Cô ấy tưởng là cuộc họp bắt đầu lúc 3 giờ. (She believed that the meeting started at 3 o'clock.)
- Họ tưởng là mình đã thắng. (They imagined that they had won.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is commonly used to contrast a past assumption with the present reality. It often appears in sentences where the actual truth is stated afterwards, introduced by words like (but), (it turns out), or (actually).
- Tôi tưởng là trời sẽ mưa, nhưng trời lại nắng. (I thought it would rain, but it's sunny instead.)
- Anh ấy tưởng là bài thi dễ, hóa ra rất khó. (He supposed the exam was easy, but it turned out to be very difficult.)
Variants and Related Words
Tưởng (v): to think, to believe, to imagine. The core verb, often used without là in shorter phrases.
- Tôi tưởng anh ấy là bác sĩ. (I thought he was a doctor.)
Tưởng rằng (phrasal verb): a more formal or emphatic synonym for tưởng là, meaning "to think that."
- Chúng tôi tưởng rằng dự án đã hoàn thành. (We thought that the project was finished.)
Synonyms
- To assume that: To accept something as true without proof.
- To presume that: To suppose something to be the case based on probability.
- To fancy that: To imagine or believe something, often in a whimsical way.
Related Idioms and Phrases
Tưởng bở: To be overly optimistic or to have wishful thinking; to assume something good will happen without a solid basis.
- Đừng có tưởng bở mà không học bài. (Don't be overly optimistic and not study for the test.)
Tưởng đâu: Used to express a surprising or mistaken assumption about a situation, often at the beginning of a sentence.
- Tưởng đâu cô ấy giận, ai ngờ cô ấy cười. (I thought she was angry; who would have guessed she smiled.)