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March 24, 2026
愿(願)yuàn(yuan4)
愿 (yuàn) means 'to hope' or 'to wish' for something, expressing a desire or intention. It is commonly used in formal contexts such as making wishes or expressing sincere intentions, often in phrases like '我愿意' (wǒ yuàn yì) meaning 'I am willing.' The term can also convey a sense of readiness or sincerity in one's desires.
Strokes14Radical心Frequency#1093DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing wishes and hopes is often linked to traditional customs such as during the Lantern Festival or New Year celebrations, where people make wishes for prosperity and happiness. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on sincerity and intention in personal aspirations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person standing at a crossroads, contemplating their future – they are willing to choose a path that leads to their hopes and wishes. The character 愿 combines the radical for 'heart' (心) suggesting sincerity, with the component '月' which can remind you of the moon, often associated with dreams and desires.
Meanings of 愿
yuàn(yuan4)
1to hope
2to wish
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 愿
愿Simplified
願Traditional
14Strokes
心Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1093Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 愿
Podcast: 愿
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AI Study Notes for 愿
Quick Contrast
愿 (yuàn) vs 希望 (xīwàng) — use 愿 for formal expressions of desire or intention, while 希望 is more common for general hopes.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person standing at a crossroads, contemplating their future – they are willing to choose a path that leads to their hopes and wishes. The character 愿 combines the radical for 'heart' (心) suggesting sincerity, with the component '月' which can remind you of the moon, often associated with dreams and desires.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 愿 with similar-sounding words like 原 (yuán), which means 'origin.' It is typically used in more formal speech or writing, so in casual conversations, you might hear alternatives. Common collocations include '愿望' (yuànwàng - wish) and '愿意' (yuàn yì - willing to).
HSK Study Tips
Although not in the HSK levels, understanding 愿 can enhance your vocabulary, especially when discussing wishes and desires. It connects well with other verbs expressing intention or emotion, such as 想 (xiǎng - to think/want) and 希望 (xīwàng - to hope). Focus on integrating it into sentences to express your own desires.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing wishes and hopes is often linked to traditional customs such as during the Lantern Festival or New Year celebrations, where people make wishes for prosperity and happiness. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on sincerity and intention in personal aspirations.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 愿 with similar characters, mistakenly using it in place of 愿意 (yuàn yì) when they mean 'to wish' instead of 'to be willing.' Remember that 愿 expresses desire while 愿意 expresses willingness.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 愿
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六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 原 represents the sound. In simplified Chinese 愿 is also used to mean "hope; wish", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 願.
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Grammar Patterns of 愿
愿 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
Self-discipline, willingness, enthusiasm, that's what you must depend on.
10
他宁愿一枪打死自己也不愿违背自己的原则。
tā níng yuàn yī qiāng dǎ sǐ zì jǐ yě bù yuàn wéi bèi zì jǐ de yuán zé。
He would rather shoot himself than compromise his principles.
Cultural Notes for 愿
💡Did you know?
The character '愿' is composed of the heart (心) and the word '愿' itself, symbolizing sincere wishes from the heart. This reflects the importance of sincerity in Chinese culture.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing wishes and hopes is often linked to traditional customs such as during the Lantern Festival or New Year celebrations, where people make wishes for prosperity and happiness. The character reflects a cultural emphasis on sincerity and intention in personal aspirations.
📜Proverb
A common Chinese proverb related to '愿' is '心想事成' (xīn xiǎng shì chéng), meaning 'If you wish for something sincerely, it will come true.' This emphasizes the belief in the power of hope and intention.
Word Family of 愿
Words Containing This Character20
愿意yuànyìto wish願意
愿yuànto hope願
愿望yuànwàngdesire願望
不愿unwilling不願
宁愿nìngyuànbetter寧願
但愿dànyuànI wish (that)但願
自愿zìyuànvoluntary自願
志愿者zhìyuànzhěvolunteer志願者
意愿yìyuànaspiration意願
志愿zhìyuànaspiration志願
心愿xīnyuàndream心願
祝愿zhùyuànto wish祝願
情愿qíngyuànwillingness情願
许愿to make a wish許願
如愿to have one's wishes fulfilled如願
心甘情愿xīngānqíngyuàndelighted to (do sth, idiom)心甘情願
志愿军volunteer army志願軍
甘愿willingly甘願
如愿以偿rúyuànyǐchángto have one's wish fulfilled如願以償
一厢情愿one's own wishful thinking一廂情願
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 愿意 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 愿
While both 愿 (yuàn) and 希望 (xīwàng) express hope or desire, 愿 often conveys a more personal or emotional wish, while 希望 is more neutral and commonly used in general contexts. For example, you might say '我希望明天会下雨' (I hope it will rain tomorrow), using 希望.
愿 (yuàn) means 'to hope,' 'to wish,' or 'to desire.' It can express a strong desire or willingness for something to happen. For example, you might use it to say you wish for someone's happiness.
You can use 愿 in sentences to express your wishes or hopes. For example, '我愿意帮助你' (wǒ yuànyì bāngzhù nǐ) means 'I am willing to help you.' It can also be used in more formal expressions of hope.
You can use it in a sentence like '我愿意帮助你' (wǒ yuàn yì bāng zhù nǐ), which means 'I am willing to help you.'
While it is more common in formal contexts, you can also use it in informal settings to express personal wishes.
Common phrases include '愿望' (yuànwàng - wish) and '希望' (xīwàng - to hope), which are often used interchangeably.
