望
ambition, full moon, hope, desire, aspire to, expect
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- モウ
Kun'yomi
- のぞ.む
- もち
Nanori
- み
- も
Meaning
望 centers on looking toward something desired or distant: hoping, aspiring, or expecting. The full moon sense is a specific application of gazing at a distant bright object.
Most common words using 望
21 of 183- 希望きぼうN3
hope; wish; aspiration
- 望むのぞむN3
to desire; to want; to wish for; to hope for
- 絶望ぜつぼうN2
despair; hopelessness
- 要望ようぼうN1
demand for; request
- 願望がんぼうN1
desire; wish; aspiration
- 欲望よくぼうN1
desire; appetite; lust
- 望みのぞみN3
wish; desire; hope
- 展望てんぼうN1
view; outlook; prospect
- 志望しぼうN2
wish; desire; ambition; choice
- 失望しつぼうN3
disappointment; despair
- 望ましいのぞましいN2
desirable; hoped for; preferable; advisable
- 待望たいぼうN1
waiting expectantly; waiting eagerly; looking forward to
- 野望やぼう
ambition; aspiration
- 有望ゆうぼうN2
promising; hopeful; full of promise
- 望月もちづき
full moon; moon on the 15th day of the month (by the lunar calendar)
- 望遠鏡ぼうえんきょうN2
telescope
- 切望せつぼう
earnest desire; eager hope; longing; yearning; hankering
- 眺望ちょうぼう
view; vista; panorama; outlook; prospect
- 渇望かつぼう
craving; longing; thirsting
- 待ち望むまちのぞむN1
to wait eagerly for; to look forward to
- 嘱望しょくぼう
having great hopes for (someone's future); expecting much of; pinning one's hopes on
Study
Etymology
望 combines 亡 (originally a person leaning forward) with 月 (moon) and 王 (a variant of 壬, standing upright). The composition suggests a person gazing at the moon while standing tall, expressing hope or distant looking.
Meaning mnemonic
The top-left 亡 looks like a person leaning forward, the right 月 is the moon, and the bottom 王 is a person standing. Picture someone leaning out to gaze at the full moon, full of hope and ambition.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a hopeful person throwing a bow (as in bow and arrow) toward the moon: bow -> ボウ, aiming high with ambition.