Word
Kana: はっそう Romaji: hassou Level: N2

発想

Meaning in English

idea; way of thinking (same as 考え方 (かんがえかた))

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

発想 means the act of forming ideas or concepts; the capacity for creative thinking and ideation—the moment you conceive a new thought or approach.

Main meanings

  • conceptualization and generation of ideas, especially in creative or strategic contexts
  • the ability to imagine or conceive new approaches, products, or solutions
  • the starting point for brainstorming and ideation, often used in business and design discourse
  • a particular line of thought or perspective that shapes problem solving

How to use it

Used in formal and informal contexts to discuss ideation, creative thinking, and problem solving. Common in business, design, technology, and academia; typical collocations include 発想を転換する, 発想力を高める, 発想を豊かにする.

Variants and close terms

  • 着想 (chakusō) — a fresh concept or inspiration
  • 想像 (sōzō) — imagination or envisaging possibilities
  • アイデア (aidea) — idea
  • 発想力 (hassō-ryoku) — ability to generate ideas

Composition

  • 発: start, emit, originate
  • 想: thought, idea, contemplation
  • Together they express the act of generating a thought or idea, i.e., ideation

Etymology

はっそう (hassou) is a native Japanese compound formed from 発 and 想; 発 carries the sense of starting, emitting, or initiating, while 想 means thought or idea; together they express the mental act of generating ideas, and the reading uses on'yomi pronunciation in everyday use.

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Noun (名詞)

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