奢望

• Pinyin: shē wàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 奢 = 大 + 者 (lavish, excessive); 望 = 亡 + 月 + 王 (to gaze at from afar, to hope)

Meaning

To have unrealistic hopes; an extravagant wish; to wish for the impossible or far beyond one's reach.

Used to express desires that are considered excessive, impractical, or unattainable given one's circumstances. Often conveys resignation or self-awareness about the difficulty of a situation. Can function as both a verb and a noun.

Examples

1. 在这种条件下奢望完美结果是不现实的。 Under these conditions, hoping for a perfect outcome isn’t realistic.
2. 她没有奢望一夜成名，只希望脚踏实地地进步。 She didn’t fantasize about becoming famous overnight—she just wanted to make steady, down-to-earth progress.
3. 对于贫困地区的孩子们，接受高等教育曾是一种奢望。 For children in impoverished areas, getting a higher education used to be little more than a distant dream.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, social commentary, personal reflection

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 在资源匮乏的年代，吃饱饭都是一种奢望。(In an era of scarce resources, even having enough to eat was an extravagant wish.)
• 他并不奢望得到所有人的理解，只求问心无愧。(He did not aspire to win everyone's understanding — he only wished to have a clear conscience.)

Don't Say

• 我奢望你来 — 奢望 implies the hope is unrealistically ambitious; for ordinary hopes use 希望 or 期待

Origin & History

奢 (extravagant, excessive) + 望 (hope, wish, look towards)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal