本意是想...
Use 本意是想…… when you need to clarify what someone really meant to say or do, especially after a misunderstanding. It points back to the original intent before any twist or misreading. Common when explaining a slogan that flopped, a comment that got taken the wrong way, or a plan that didn't land as intended.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 的本意是想 [INTENDED-ACTION/MEANING]
běnyì shì xiǎng...
How to Think About It
本意 means 'original intent' — the thing in someone's head before reality interpreted it. 是想 then plugs in what they were trying to do. Together, the phrase plants a flag in the past, before the misunderstanding occurred, and is almost always followed (or preceded) by what people thought instead. Without that contrast, the sentence feels half-spoken.
Examples
OPPO 的本意是想说他们的相机技术领先。
OPPO de běnyì shì xiǎng shuō tāmen de xiàngjī jìshù lǐngxiān.
OPPO's original intent was to say their camera technology is industry-leading.
他的本意是想帮忙，没想到反而让事情更复杂了。
Tā de běnyì shì xiǎng bāngmáng, méi xiǎngdào fǎn'ér ràng shìqing gèng fùzá le.
He'd meant to help, but ended up making things more complicated.
这条广告的本意是想吸引年轻人，结果年轻人都觉得很尴尬。
Zhè tiáo guǎnggào de běnyì shì xiǎng xīyǐn niánqīngrén, jiéguǒ niánqīngrén dōu juéde hěn gāngà.
This ad was meant to attract young people, but young people found it embarrassing.
Common Mistake
Learners conflate 本意 with 本来 ('originally'). 本意 names a person's intention or the original meaning of a thing; 本来 names how things originally were in general. They're related but not interchangeable. 本来 plans get changed; 本意 gets misread.
本来是想说A，但大家以为是B。
本意是想说A，但大家以为是B。
Don't Confuse With
本来想……
本来想 reports an original plan that didn't happen ('I'd planned to…'). 本意是想 reports an original meaning that got misread. Different kind of mismatch.
原意是……
原意 = 'the original meaning', often of a word, text, or rule. Slightly more neutral and analytical; 本意 is closer to 'what the person really meant'.
意思是……
意思是 simply states what something means now — no claim about an earlier intent. Use 本意是想 when the current reading is wrong and you're correcting back to the original.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 他的___是想给你一个惊喜。
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本意
Fill in the blank: 公司的本意___想节约成本，结果质量下降了。
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是
Arrange: 妈妈 / 本意 / 是 / 我 / 帮 / 想 / 的 (Mom's original intent was to help me.)
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妈妈的本意是想帮我。
Translate to Chinese: His original intent was to make her happy, but it didn't work out.
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他的本意是想让她高兴，结果没有成功。
Use 本意是想…… to explain a misunderstanding from your own life.
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我那天发那条消息的本意是想关心朋友，没想到她以为我在批评她。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 本意是想... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.