Word
志望
Meaning in Englishwish, desire, ambition
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
志望 denotes a person’s will or intention to join or enroll in a particular organization or program; it captures the aspirational aim behind applying and is used in formal contexts such as admissions and job applications.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning a strong desire or intention to pursue admission or employment with a specific institution or company.
- Nuance indicates a longer-term goal; typically used in formal writing rather than casual speech.
- Common collocations include 志望動機, 志望校, 志望業界 to express motivation, preferred school, or industry.
How to use it
Used mainly in formal settings to express an applicant's aim or preferred choice; common contexts include admissions essays, job applications, and statements of purpose; collocations reveal a target such as 志望校 or 志望業界.
Variants and close terms
- 希望 (kibou) — hope, wish
- 志 (kokorozashi) — will, ambition
- 願望 (ganbou) — desire
Composition
- 志 = will, intention
- 望 = hope, desire
- Combined meaning = one's will toward a future goal, typically the aspiration to join a school, program, or company.
Etymology
志 (kokorozashi, on'yomi shi) and 望 (nozomi, on'yomi bou) combine to form 志望; this Sino-Japanese compound yields the reading shibou.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
志
kokorozashi
will, intention, motive
N1
志す
kokorozasu
to plan, to intend, to aspire to
N1
望ましい
nozomashii
desirable, hoped for
N1
展望
tembou
view, outlook, prospect
N1
志向
shikou
intention, aim
N1
待望
taibou
long-expected, waiting
N1
待ち望む
machinozomu
to look anxiously for, to wait eagerly for
N1
有望
yuubou
good prospects, full of hope, promising
N1
要望
youbou
demand for, request
Kanji