换位

換位

huànwèi

verb HSK 7-9 #24,051

Meanings

1 to swap places; to switch positions
2 to put oneself in another's shoes

Characters

to exchange; to swap

Literally 'swap position.' Often used in the phrase 换位思考 (huànwèi sīkǎo) meaning 'to think from someone else's perspective.'

Examples

你应该换位思考一下。

Nǐ yīnggāi huànwèi sīkǎo yíxià.

You should try to see things from the other person's perspective.

我们换位坐吧，我想靠窗。

Wǒmen huànwèi zuò ba, wǒ xiǎng kàochuāng.

Let's switch seats — I want to sit by the window.

Tips

usage

换位思考 (huànwèi sīkǎo) is an extremely common phrase in Chinese, used in education, business, and daily life. It literally means 'switch-position thinking' and is the standard way to say 'put yourself in their shoes.'

Stroke Order

换 huàn

位 wèi