认为 (rènwéi)

认为 means "to think," "to believe," or "to consider" and is used to express a personal opinion or judgment about something.

Meanings

[verb] to think; to believe; to consider; to be of the opinion that

Example Sentences

我认为这个计划很可行。 Wǒ rènwéi zhège jìhuà hěn kěxíng. I think this plan is very feasible.

她认为学习语言最重要的是坚持。 Tā rènwéi xuéxí yǔyán zuì zhòngyào de shì jiānchí. She believes the most important thing in learning a language is perseverance.

大家都认为他是最合适的人选。 Dàjiā dōu rènwéi tā shì zuì héshì de rénxuǎn. Everyone considers him to be the most suitable candidate.

你认为这件事应该怎么处理？ Nǐ rènwéi zhè jiàn shì yīnggāi zěnme chǔlǐ? What do you think should be done about this matter?

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
我认为	I think; in my opinion
普遍认为	generally believed
认为有必要	to consider it necessary
错误地认为	to mistakenly believe

Usage Notes

认为 is one of the most common verbs for expressing opinion. It is always followed by a clause stating the belief. It is more neutral and formal than 觉得 (juéde, to feel), which is more emotional and informal. In academic writing, 普遍认为 (commonly believed) or 研究人员认为 (researchers believe) are frequent patterns.

Memory Hook

认 (rèn) means "to recognize" and 为 (wéi) means "to consider as": 认为 is to recognize something as being a certain way, which is exactly what believing means.