冥想
míngxiǎng
To meditate in Chinese is 冥想 (míngxiǎng).
The term 冥想 is used to describe the act of coming to a deep rest while still remaining conscious. While it functions as a verb meaning 'to meditate', it is also commonly used as a noun to mean 'meditation'.
Meaning: to come to a deep rest while still remaining conscious (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to describe the specific time or location where one meditates, use the structure '在 [location/time] 冥想', which functions similarly to 'meditate in/at [location/time]' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
míngxiǎng
Did you know?
- The character 冥 (míng) in 冥想 originally referred to the deep ocean or the darkness of the underworld, suggesting a descent into a profound, hidden state of mind.
- Modern Chinese speakers often use 冥想 to describe the secular mindfulness techniques popularized in the West, whereas older texts might use 静心 (jìngxīn) to mean 'quieting the heart'.
- The term 冥想 can be used in a non-spiritual sense to describe deep, intense thinking or pondering a difficult problem, similar to 'contemplation' in English.
Examples in context
- 他過去時常在早上的時候冥想。He used to meditate in the morning.This sentence is useful for describing a past habit of using 冥想 in the morning.Tatoeba #876744 by Martha, translation #288242 by CK
- 我每天早上都会冥想来放松身心。I meditate every morning to relax my mind and body.
- 我喜欢在清晨找个安静的地方打坐。I enjoy finding a quiet spot to sit and meditate in the early morning.
- 我经常在晚上睡前冥思一段时间。I often spend some time in meditation before going to sleep at night.
- 我每天晚上都会找个角落静坐片刻。Every evening, I find a corner to sit quietly for a while.
- 我每天睡前都會冥想十分鐘。Wǒ měitiān shuìqián dūhuì míngxiǎng shí fēnzhōng.I meditate for ten minutes every day before bed.
- 他在公園裡靜靜地冥想。Tā zài gōngyuán lǐ jìngjìng de míngxiǎng.He is meditating quietly in the park.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their relaxation habits at a cafe.
- 伟 Wei你最近在做什麼放鬆身心的事情嗎？Nǐ zuìjìn zài zuò shénme fàngsōng shēnxīn de shìqing ma?Have you been doing anything lately to relax your mind and body?
- 雨婷 Yuting我最近開始嘗試冥想。Wǒ zuìjìn kāishǐ chángshì míngxiǎng.I have recently started trying to meditate.
- 伟 Wei那感覺如何？Nà gǎnjué rúhé?How does that feel?
- 雨婷 Yuting我覺得心情變得很平靜。Wǒ juédé xīnqíng biàn de hěn píngjìng.I feel that my mood has become very calm.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
