Word
夢
Meaning in Englishdream
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Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 夢 mean? It means the experience of dreams during sleep and, more broadly, the aims or visions a person holds for the future.
Main meanings
- nightly imagery generated by the dreaming mind
- personal goals, aspirations, and long‑term plans
- fantasy, illusion, or idealized scenarios that may not be grounded in reality
- symbolic use in literature and philosophy to express longing or the tension between reality and aspiration
How to use it
Used across casual and formal contexts to discuss sleeping dreams as well as aspirations. In everyday talk it refers to personal goals; in poetry and academic writing it can symbolize longing, imagination, and the contrast between what is and what could be.
Variants and close terms
- 願い (negai) — desire, aspiration
- 希望 (kibou) — hope, aspiration
- 幻想 (gensou) — fantasy, illusion
- 現実 (genjitsu) — reality
Composition
- 夢 is a single kanji meaning dream and does not decompose into multiple characters; its usage covers both nightly visions and waking ambitions
Word class
noun (名詞)
Kanji