欲望 (yùwàng) · desire

欲望 (yùwàng) means “desire; craving”. It is written with 2 characters: 欲 (desire) + 望 (to expect). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 欲望 is built

The characters

欲 yù · desire

What 欲 is made of

谷gǔ — valley
- 八bā — eight
- 人rén — person
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
欠qiàn — to lack
- ⺈ — top shape
- 人rén — person

望 wàng · to expect

What 望 is made of

亡wáng — death
- 亠tóu — lid
  - 丶 — dot
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
月yuè — moon; month
- 冂 — frame
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
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)

Example sentences

孩子有很强的求知欲望。Háizi yǒu hěn qiáng de qiúzhī yùwàng.Children have a strong desire to learn.

他控制不住购物的欲望。Tā kòngzhì bù zhù gòuwù de yùwàng.He can't control his urge to shop.

Questions about 欲望

What does 欲望 mean?

欲望 (yùwàng) means “desire; craving”.

How do you pronounce 欲望?

欲望 is pronounced yùwàng.

Which HSK level is 欲望?

欲望 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 欲望 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 222: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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