願い
Meaning in Englishdesire, wish, request
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
What does 願い mean? It is a noun that denotes a wish, desire, or request for something to happen, often reflecting a personal hope or prayer.
Main meanings
- As a noun, a conscious longing for a future event or outcome.
- Used for petitions or prayers, indicating an earnest appeal or plea.
- Common in phrases such as 願い事 and 願いを叶える, signaling the act of wishing or hoping to be fulfilled.
- In religious or ceremonial contexts, it can express supplication directed at deities or spirits.
How to use it
Used as a standalone noun to express a personal wish or desire; in formal speech and writing, it can denote prayers or petitions; in casual language, it refers to everyday hopes and dreams; common constructions include 願いを込める, 願いを叶える, and 願い事.
Variants and close terms
- 希望 (kibou) — hope or wish
- 願望 (ganbou) — strong longing or desire
- 祈り (inori) — prayer
- 望み (nozomi) — wish or expectation
Composition
The kanji 願 conveys the core idea of wishing or desiring; the final い is a nominalizing suffix that turns the verb 願う into the noun 願い, yielding the concept of a wish or desire.
Etymology
願い is formed from the verb 願う (negau); the noun い serves as a nominalizing suffix, turning the verb into the noun that means the act or result of wishing.
Origin
Early attestations appear in classical Japanese, with the concept rooted in native belief systems and court literature; over time, the term extended from religious supplication to everyday longing and goals, reflecting Shinto and Buddhist influences on expressing wishes.
Word class
Noun (名詞)