Giving your opinion in Chinese 表达看法
biǎodá kànfǎ
I think in Chinese is 我觉得 (wǒ jué de).
Also searched for as: expressing opinions, in my opinion, I think, what I think, point of view.
How to say what you really think. 15 essential giving your opinion words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The most common way to give your opinion in Chinese is 我觉得 (wǒ jué de), "I think" or "I feel", which works in almost any situation. For something more formal or considered, use 我认为 (wǒ rèn wéi) or 在我看来 (zài wǒ kàn lái), "in my opinion". You'll also want ways to ask what others think, such as 你怎么看 (nǐ zěn me kàn), and softeners like 说实话 (shuō shí huà), to be honest.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我觉得 | wǒ jué de | I think; I feel |
| 我认为 | wǒ rèn wéi | I believe; in my view |
| 在我看来 | zài wǒ kàn lái | in my opinion |
| 说实话 | shuō shí huà | to be honest |
| 个人觉得 | gè rén jué de | personally I think |
| 看法 | kàn fǎ | view; opinion |
| 意见 | yì jiàn | opinion; objection |
| 观点 | guān diǎn | point of view |
| 怎么看 | zěn me kàn | what do you think (of it)? |
| 不一定 | bù yī dìng | not necessarily |
| 我的意思是 | wǒ de yì si shì | what I mean is |
| 一方面 | yī fāng miàn | on the one hand |
| 总的来说 | zǒng de lái shuō | all in all |
| 我倒觉得 | wǒ dào jué de | actually I think (contrasting) |
| 不好说 | bù hǎo shuō | hard to say |
Usage tips
- 意见 (yì jiàn) often means an objection: 我没意见 (wǒ méi yì jiàn) means "I'm fine with it", and 他对我有意见 means he's got a problem with me. To ask for someone's view neutrally, use 看法 (kàn fǎ): 你有什么看法？
- 我倒觉得 (wǒ dào jué de) signals a gentle contrast with what's just been said, so it's a good way to disagree without sounding confrontational.
- To weigh things up, use 一方面……另一方面…… (yī fāng miàn... lìng yī fāng miàn...), on the one hand... on the other, and round off with 总的来说 (zǒng de lái shuō), all in all.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我不觉得这个好 for "I don't think it's good" → Chinese usually puts the negative on the opinion itself: 我觉得不太好 (wǒ jué de bù tài hǎo).
- Translating "in my opinion" as 在我的意见 → say 在我看来 (zài wǒ kàn lái) or 我的看法是 (wǒ de kàn fǎ shì).
Mini dialogue
- A这件事你怎么看？Zhè jiàn shì nǐ zěn me kàn?What do you reckon about this?
- B说实话，我觉得他选的酒店不错。Shuō shí huà, wǒ jué de tā xuǎn de jiǔ diàn bù cuò.To be honest, I think the hotel he picked is pretty good.
- A我倒觉得有点儿太贵了。Wǒ dào jué de yǒu diǎnr tài guì le.Actually, I think it's a bit too expensive.
- B贵的不一定不好。一方面很干净，另一方面离地铁很近。Guì de bù yī dìng bù hǎo. Yī fāng miàn hěn gān jìng, lìng yī fāng miàn lí dì tiě hěn jìn.Expensive isn't necessarily bad. On the one hand it's clean, and on the other it's close to the metro.
- A总的来说，你说得也有道理。Zǒng de lái shuō, nǐ shuō de yě yǒu dào li.All in all, you've got a point.
Example sentences
- 我觉得这个主意不错。I think this idea's pretty good.
- 我认为我们应该早点儿出发。I think we should set off a bit earlier.
- 在我看来，这样更好。In my opinion, this way is better.
- 说实话，我不太喜欢。To be honest, I don't really like it.
- 我个人觉得没必要。Personally I don't think it's necessary.
- 你对这件事有什么看法？What's your view on this?
- 你们决定吧，我没意见。You decide, I'm fine either way.
- 每个人的观点不一样。Everyone has a different point of view.
- 这件事你怎么看？What do you reckon about this?
- 贵的不一定好。Expensive doesn't necessarily mean good.
- 我的意思是，我们再等等。What I mean is, let's wait a bit longer.
- 这房子一方面便宜，另一方面离地铁近。On the one hand this flat's cheap, on the other it's near the metro.
- 总的来说，还是挺好的。All in all, it's pretty good.
- 我倒觉得他说得有道理。Actually, I think he has a point.
- 这个真不好说。That's really hard to say.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Giving your opinion speaking island has 8 everyday questions about giving your opinion to prepare your own answers to.