希望

• Pinyin: xī wàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 希 = 爻 (cross pattern) + 巾 (cloth), meaning rare or to hope; 望 = 亡 (flee) + 月 (moon) + 王 (king), meaning to gaze or expect

Meaning

Hope; wish. As a verb, to hope or wish for something; as a noun, a hope or expectation for the future.

One of the most common words in Chinese for expressing hopes, wishes, and expectations. As a verb, it is followed by a clause stating the desired outcome. As a noun, it can be preceded by 有 (have) or 没有 (not have) to express whether hope exists. Less formal than 期望 and more general than 盼望.

Examples

1. 我希望明天天气好一点。 I hope the weather will be a bit better tomorrow.
2. 父母都希望孩子能考上好大学。 All parents hope their children can get into a good university.
3. 只要不放弃，就还有希望。 As long as you don't give up, there is still hope.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, formal speech, encouragement

Tone: hopeful

Do Say

• 我希望你一切顺利。(I hope everything goes smoothly for you.)
• 这件事还有希望吗？(Is there still hope for this matter?)

Don't Say

• 我希望你昨天来了。(Don't use 希望 for past events that already happened — use 希望 for future wishes. Say 我本来希望你昨天能来 instead.)

Origin & History

希 means 'rare' or 'to hope for', and 望 means 'to gaze into the distance' or 'to expect'. Together they express looking forward to something desired.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal