願望 / 愿望
yuànwàng
In Chinese, the phrase 'wish' can be expressed using several different forms. The default form is 願望 / 愿望 (yuànwàng). Wiktionary also lists 希望 (xīwàng) and 但願 / 但愿 (dànyuàn).
Meaning: to hope for an outcome (verb)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 願望 / 愿望 | yuànwàng |
| 希望 | xīwàng |
| 但願 / 但愿 | dànyuàn |
Use 希望 to mean 'to hope' or 'to wish' in general contexts. If you are referring to a specific goal or a thing that is desired, use the noun 願望 / 愿望, which translates to 'desire' or 'wish'. For example, one might speak of realizing a wish using 願望 / 愿望.
Which one should you use?
希望 is the most common way to express both 'to hope' and 'to wish' in everyday speech. In contrast, 但願 / 但愿 is used to express a strong, often singular, heartfelt wish or a sense of 'if only'. While 希望 is a general term, 願望 / 愿望 functions as a noun to describe the object of a desire.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a verb, 希望 can be followed directly by a clause to express a wish, such as 'wish you happiness'.
How do you pronounce it?
yuànwàng
When do people say it?
To wish someone good luck, you can use the phrase 祝你好运.
Did you know?
- The character 願 in 願望 contains a radical meaning 'heart', reflecting that a wish is viewed as something stemming from the deepest part of one's emotional center.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'wishing' is often tied to the 'Wishing Tree' or 'Wishing Well' tradition, where people tie red ribbons to branches to make their 願望 come true.
- If you want to wish someone 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese, you do not usually use the word for 'wish' alone, but rather specific phrases like 生日快樂.
Examples in context
- 好希望她还活着。I wish she were alive now.This example shows how to express a wish about a current state using 希望.Tatoeba #826540 by jessie0422, translation #308282 by CK
- 真希望我會游泳。How I wish I could swim.This example demonstrates using 希望 to express a personal wish regarding an ability.Tatoeba #1243819 by tsayng, translation #26396 by auxitt
- 我希望能跟你走。I wish I could go with you.This example illustrates using 希望 to express a wish to accompany someone.Tatoeba #4760089 by ryanwoo, translation #2544357 by CK
- 祝愿你工作顺利、学业进步。Wishing you a smooth work and academic progress.
- 期望你在新的一年取得更大的成就。I hope you achieve greater success in the coming year.
- 祝你旅途愉快！Wishing you a pleasant journey!
- 祝你考试顺利，取得好成绩！Wishing you success in your exams and good grades!
- 81 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wish” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
