望 wàng — hope; expect; to visit; to gaze (into the distance); look towards; towards
我希望明天是个好天气。Wǒ xī wàng míng tiān shì ge hǎo tiān qì.I hope tomorrow will be good weather.
Common words: 希望 (xī wàng)、愿望 (yuàn wàng)、失望 (shī wàng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "hope"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "hope", including 望 (wàng), 愿 (yuàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "hope" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 望 (wàng), 愿 (yuàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span wàng, yuàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 望 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 望 wànghope; expect; to visit; to gaze (into the distance); look towards; towardsUseful words: 希望, 愿望
- 愿 yuànsincere; willing; hope; wish; desire; readyUseful words: 愿意, 愿望
Common words for these 2 "hope" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 望 (wàng) — so "hope" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "hope".
愿 yuàn — sincere; willing; hope; wish; desire; ready
我愿意帮你一起完成。Wǒ yuàn yì bāng nǐ yì qǐ wán chéng.I am willing to help you finish it together.
Common words: 愿意 (yuàn yì)、愿望 (yuàn wàng)、志愿者 (zhì yuàn zhě)
All 2 characters
Open 望、愿 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.