想い vs. 思い - Do Both Mean Feeling?


Do both 思い and 想い mean "feeling", and if they do are they used
interchangeably? If not, what is their difference in meaning?




> "Do both [思]{おも}い and [想]{おも}い mean "feeling"?"

Yes, both mean "thought", "feeling", etc.

> Can I just use either one in my writing?

No, not really. Only 「思う」 is officially correct according to our Education
Ministry. That means that in school, you can only use 「思い」. You WILL be
corrected if you use 「想い」 in school. You will not see 「想い」 in newspapers,
either.

If you look up 「おもい」 in a monolingual dictionary, you will find that the kanji
「想い」 is "marked" for being "not official" like in this dictionary, which uses
a triangle for that purpose.

[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%80%9D%E3%81%84?dic=daijisen&oid=02560200](http://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%80%9D%E3%81%84?dic=daijisen&oid=02560200)

Our writing system is rather complex to begin with as you know. So, the
government tries to keep it simple even by a little -- at least in schools.

> Does that mean 「思い」 and 「想い」 are not interchangeable?

Personally, I would say that they are not. I would feel pretty weird if I used
「思い」 if I were writing a letter to someone I liked. If our language gives you
the aesthetic choices that other languages do not, I say 'Keep'em!'

> Can I use 「想い」 in my private life after school?

Yes, of course, you can. Many people use it in letters, emails, poems, etc.

> Cool. Is there a difference in meaning or nuance between the two words?

In meaning, not really, but in nuance, I would have to say yes, which is why
you see both used often. 「想い」 looks and feels more personal and/or emotional
than 「思い」.

If you saw litter on the street and felt something, that would be a 「思い」. If
you are thinking of someone special and missing her, that would be a 「想い」 for
many of us if described in writing.

