Word
発想
Meaning in Englishidea; way of thinking (same as 考え方 (かんがえかた))
Animated kanji stroke order
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.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
発生
hassei
outbreak, spring forth, occurrence
N1
始発
shihatsu
first train
N1
発作
hossa
fit, attack
N1
発足
hossoku
starting, inauguration
N1
発病
hatsubyou
attack, to become sick
N1
反発
hampatsu
repelling, rebound, oppose
N2
～発
～hatsu
counter for bullets
N2
空想
kuusou
daydream, fantasy
N2
蒸発
jouhatsu
evaporation; unexplained disappearance