<p>Think about a scenario: You and your group are asked to do a social survey, and you're going to pick up your topic by yourselves. So you called a meeting to discuss it. Everybody talked about their ideas(想法), and you vote for a topic.<br> 
Think about another scenario: At class, your professor played a piece of video about some hot news, and then he wanted you to talk about your own point of view(看法).<br>
So, "想法" is usually used when there is some problem need to be discussed to solve. "看法" is usually used when people talked about their opinions about something happened or some social phenomenon.<br>
"想" means you need to think and "看" means how you see this.<br>
Yet in daily life, replace one with another won't make it a big deal, so people sometimes don't take the difference seriously, they just speak it out.
May this would help.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-01T18:28:33.223Z
Great answer! Another question: what about 注意 in relation to 想法?
God's Drunkest Driver
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-01T18:36:20.663Z
edit: I meant to say 主意 instead of 注意
God's Drunkest Driver
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-04T04:19:01.837Z
Hi, sorry for the late response. Let's presume there is a problem need to be solved. And you think and think and finally you came up a thought, just a thought and you didn't know if this 'thought' could solve the problem, so you can say"我有一个想法"; 
or you think and think and Bingo,you had an idea, and you're confident about your idea,then you can say "我有一个主意". So "主意" is more self-confident/possible than "想法". May this would help.@AndrewGuo
Hunter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-27T02:50:06.790Z
2016-01-27T02:50:06.790Z
Hunter
<p>Both can mean "view/idea/opinion". </p>

<p>For example, I can say: 
对这个问题有两种不同的<strong>看法</strong> (there are two different view on this question)</p>

<p>Would it be reasonable to replace "看法" with "想法"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-26T18:46:55.820Z
It could be vary depends on the "question" in 对这个问题
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-26T21:01:55.990Z
studying  the 100 example sentences for 想法 at jukuu might supply the answer
user6065
<difference><synonyms>
What is the difference between 看法 and 想法?
# What is the difference between 看法 and 想法?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-01-26)

Both can mean "view/idea/opinion".

For example, I can say:
对这个问题有两种不同的**看法** (there are two different view on this question)

Would it be reasonable to replace "看法" with "想法"?

**Tags:** difference, synonyms
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It could be vary depends on the "question" in 对这个问题  
> **username_2**: studying  the 100 example sentences for 想法 at jukuu might supply the answer  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-01-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Think about a scenario: You and your group are asked to do a social survey, and you're going to pick up your topic by yourselves. So you called a meeting to discuss it. Everybody talked about their ideas(想法), and you vote for a topic.  
Think about another scenario: At class, your professor played a piece of video about some hot news, and then he wanted you to talk about your own point of view(看法).  
So, "想法" is usually used when there is some problem need to be discussed to solve. "看法" is usually used when people talked about their opinions about something happened or some social phenomenon.  
"想" means you need to think and "看" means how you see this.  
Yet in daily life, replace one with another won't make it a big deal, so people sometimes don't take the difference seriously, they just speak it out.
May this would help.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Great answer! Another question: what about 注意 in relation to 想法?  
> **username_0**: edit: I meant to say 主意 instead of 注意  
> **username_3**: Hi, sorry for the late response. Let's presume there is a problem need to be solved. And you think and think and finally you came up a thought, just a thought and you didn't know if this 'thought' could solve the problem, so you can say"我有一个想法";  or you think and think and Bingo,you had an idea, and you're confident about your idea,then you can say "我有一个主意". So "主意" is more self-confident/possible than "想法". May this would help.@AndrewGuo  

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