Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'expectations' in Japanese, covering hopes, standards, and what is anticipated.
Expressing positive anticipation or what you hope will happen.
The most common word for positive expectations, hopes, or looking forward to something.
I have high expectations for his new movie.
More casual, expresses looking forward to something with pleasure. Often used for personal enjoyment.
Literary phrase meaning 'to be full of anticipation'.
Referring to social, professional, or personal standards that one is supposed to meet.
Also used for expectations placed on someone, like duties or standards.
What you think will happen, often based on reasoning or past experience.
Expectation as a forecast or prediction. Neutral, can be positive or negative.
Expressing that something didn't meet expectations.
Please don't disappoint my expectations.
週末が楽しみです。
I'm looking forward to the weekend.
The children were full of anticipation for the field trip.
I want to live up to my parents' expectations.
The company has high expectations of its employees.
Often used in business or technical contexts for 'expected value' or benchmark.
Please clarify the expectations for the project.
Means 'demands' or 'requirements', stronger than expectations. Use when expectations are more like obligations.
It's difficult to meet customer expectations (demands).
The results exceeded expectations.
His expectations (predictions) were off.
Expectation based on probability or prospects, often used in business.
Sales fell short of expectations.
Assumption or scenario planning. Used when you set expectations for planning purposes.
Prepare for the worst-case expectations.
A noun/adjective meaning 'disappointing' or 'not living up to expectations'.
The movie was a letdown (didn't meet expectations).
To betray expectations, i.e., to disappoint.
He disappointed me (betrayed my expectations).
Predict tomorrow's weather. (logical)
In casual conversation, 楽しみ (tanoshimi) is often more natural than 期待 for personal enjoyment. 期待 can sound formal or heavy.