Usage note
主意表示想法或办法。
zhǔ yì biǎo shì xiǎng fǎ huò bàn fǎ。
主意 means an idea or a plan.
Context note
主意常用于讨论选择和解决问题。
zhǔ yì cháng yòng yú tǎo lùn xuǎn zé hé jiě jué wèn tí。
It is often used when discussing choices and solving problems.
5 examples
你有什么主意？
nǐ yǒu shén me zhǔ yì？
What ideas do you have?
这个主意很好。
zhè ge zhǔ yì hěn hǎo。
This is a good idea.
我没有主意。
wǒ méi yǒu zhǔ yì。
I have no idea.
我们一起想主意。
wǒ men yì qǐ xiǎng zhǔ yì。
Let us think of ideas together.
他出了一个好主意。
tā chū le yí gè hǎo zhǔ yì。
He came up with a good idea.
5 mini stories
大家坐下来想主意。
dà jiā zuò xià lái xiǎng zhǔ yì。
Everyone sat down to think of ideas.
妈妈说这个主意很不错。
mā ma shuō zhè ge zhǔ yì hěn bú cuò。
Mom said this idea was very good.
遇到问题时，他总有主意。
yù dào wèn tí shí， tā zǒng yǒu zhǔ yì。
When he faces a problem, he always has ideas.
老师让学生自己想主意。
lǎo shī ràng xué shēng zì jǐ xiǎng zhǔ yì。
The teacher asked the students to think of their own ideas.
这个主意帮助了很多人。
zhè ge zhǔ yì bāng zhù le hěn duō rén。
This idea helped many people.
Mini dialogue
好主意
A
周末我们去公园野餐，怎么样？
Zhōumò wǒmen qù gōngyuán yěcān, zěnmeyàng?
How about we go to the park for a picnic this weekend?
B
真是个好主意！
Zhēnshi gè hǎo zhǔyi!
That's a great idea!
谁的主意
A
这个游戏太好玩了，是谁的主意？
Zhège yóuxì tài hǎowán le, shì shéi de zhǔyi?
This game is so fun, whose idea was it?
B
是小明的主意。
Shì Xiǎo Míng de zhǔyi.
It was Xiao Ming's idea.
Related words and contrasts
similar
想法
xiǎng fǎ
thought; opinion
想法 is a general word for a thought or opinion.
related
办法
bàn fǎ
method; way to do something
办法 is a plan or method to solve a problem, while 主意 is often a sudden idea.