HSK 4
以为
yǐwéi
to believe falsely
Structure
Subject + 以为 + [Incorrect Belief/Clause]
How it works
The verb '以为' (yǐwéi) is used to express that someone held a belief or opinion that turned out to be incorrect or false. It is often used in combination with '其实' (qíshí - actually) or '结果' (jiéguǒ - as a result) to contrast the initial misunderstanding with the reality.
Examples
我以为今天会下雨，结果是个大晴天。
Wǒ yǐwéi jīntiān huì xiàyǔ, jiéguǒ shì gè dà qíngtiān.
I thought it would rain today, but it turns out to be a very sunny day.
他以为我不在家，所以没给我打电话。
Tā yǐwéi wǒ bù zài jiā, suǒyǐ méi gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
He thought I wasn't home, so he didn't call me.
你以为这样做很容易吗？其实很难。
Nǐ yǐwéi zhèyàng zuò hěn róngyì ma? Qíshí hěn nán.
Do you think doing it this way is easy? Actually, it's very hard.
Common mistakes
Confusing '以为' (yǐwéi) with '认为' (rènwéi). Use '认为' for formal opinions or beliefs that are not necessarily wrong; use '以为' only when the belief was a misconception.
Tip
If the sentence contains the word '其实' (actually), you should almost always use '以为' because '其实' introduces the truth that contradicts the initial thought.
More HSK 4 grammar
See 以为 in real Chinese
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