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
N2
発
hatsu
to depart (e.g., on a plane, train)
N2
発揮
hakki
exhibition, demonstration, display
N2
発電
hatsuden
generation (e.g., power)
N2
発売
hatsubai
sale
N3
思想
shisou
thought, idea, ideology
N3
可哀想
kawaisou
pitiable, poor, pathetic
N3
感想
kansou
impression, thoughts, personal opinion
N3
理想
risou
ideal, perfect model
N3
連想
rensou
association of ideas