Chinese character for hope: 希望 (xīwàng)
The Chinese word for hope is 希望 (xīwàng). It is both a noun (hope) and a verb (to hope), as in 我希望 (wǒ xīwàng, I hope). Both characters are needed; neither one alone is the usual word for hope.
How 希望 is built
希 (xī) originally meant rare or sparse and came to mean to hope for something rare. 望 (wàng) is made of 亡 (wáng), which gives the sound, 月 (yuè, moon) and 王 at the bottom; ancient forms showed a person standing on the ground gazing at the moon. As a memory aid, hope is looking up at the moon and wishing for something rare. 希望 is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.
希 xī · rare
- 乂yì — crossed strokes
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 布bù — cloth
- 巾jīn — cloth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 巾jīn — cloth
望 wàng · to expect
- 亡wáng — death
- 亠tóu — lid
- 丶 — dot
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 亠tóu — lid
- 月yuè — moon; month
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 王wáng — king
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A king 王 gazing at the moon 月; 亡 provides the pronunciation (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 希望 is used
Other ways to say hope
- 望 wàng — to look toward, to hope; used in 盼望 and 愿望
- 愿 yuàn — a wish or desire
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: Use the full word 希望; a single 希 or 望 does not clearly mean 'hope' to native readers.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for hope?
希望 (xīwàng) means “hope”.
How do you pronounce 希望?
希望 is pronounced xīwàng.