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盼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
盼pànto hope forHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #7145, Very Hard
盼pànto long forHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #7145, Very Hard
盼pànto expectHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #7145, Very Hard
盼pànto look, to gaze; to expect, to hope forHSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 目, rank #7145, Very Hard
pàn(pan4)pan T4
  1. 1to hope for
  2. 2to long for
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March 24, 2026

盼pàn(pan4)

The character 盼 (pàn) means to hope for or to long for something. It is often used in contexts where one is eagerly anticipating an event or outcome, such as waiting for news or the return of a loved one. The nuance of this word conveys a sense of longing and expectation.

Strokes9Radical目Frequency#7145DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of longing is often tied to familial relationships and traditions, such as waiting for family reunions during festivals like the Spring Festival (春节), which adds emotional depth to the word 盼.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person gazing longingly at the horizon, hoping for a ship to return. The character 盼 contains the radical for eye (目), suggesting the act of looking or watching, combined with the idea of yearning or hoping.

Meanings of 盼

pàn(pan4)
1to hope for
2to long for
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 盼 means.

About 盼

盼Simplified
9Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7145Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

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Podcast: 盼

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AI Study Notes for 盼

Quick Contrast

盼 (pàn) vs 希望 (xīwàng): Use 盼 when expressing a more emotional or eager longing, while 希望 is more neutral and can refer to general hopes.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 盼 (pàn) with other similar words like 希望 (xīwàng), which also means 'to hope' but is more general. Use 盼 when expressing a deeper, more personal longing. Pay attention to the tone; 盼 is pronounced with a falling tone (pàn).

HSK Study Tips

盼 is not currently an HSK word, but it connects well with level 3 vocabulary such as 希望 (hope) and 等待 (to wait). Focus on the emotional context of this word to better understand its usage in sentences.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 盼 (pàn) with 念 (niàn), which means to miss someone. For instance, saying '我盼他' (I hope for him) sounds odd; instead, use '我盼望他' (I hope for him) to convey clearer meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 盼

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Etymology of 盼

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 分 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)分
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

盼 = 目 + 分. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 盼

IDS Structure⿰目分
盼Full Character
=
目mu4
left
分fen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 盼?

How to say to hope for in Chinese

“to hope for” in Chinese is盼pàn

The character 盼 (pàn) means to hope for or to long for something. It is often used in contexts where one is eagerly anticipating an event or outcome, such as waiting for news or the return of a loved one. The nuance of this word conveys a sense of longing and expectation.

When to use 盼

Common mistakes include confusing 盼 (pàn) with other similar words like 希望 (xīwàng), which also means 'to hope' but is more general. Use 盼 when expressing a deeper, more personal longing. Pay attention to the tone; 盼 is pronounced with a falling tone (pàn).

盼 or something close to it

盼 (pàn) vs 希望 (xīwàng): Use 盼 when expressing a more emotional or eager longing, while 希望 is more neutral and can refer to general hopes.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 盼 (pàn) with 念 (niàn), which means to miss someone. For instance, saying '我盼他' (I hope for him) sounds odd; instead, use '我盼望他' (I hope for him) to convey clearer meaning.

Write 盼

盼

Practice writing 盼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 盼

盼 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 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我期____的一件事就是在剑桥乘坐平底船畅游。

The one thing I look forward to is going punting in Cambridge.

Example Sentences for 盼 (10)

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1
我期盼的一件事就是在剑桥乘坐平底船畅游。

wǒ qī pàn de yī jiàn shì jiù shì zài jiàn qiáo chéng zuò píng dǐ chuán chàng yóu。

The one thing I look forward to is going punting in Cambridge.
2
我们盼望着星期天天气好。

wǒ mén pàn wàng zháo xīng qī tiān tiān qì hǎo。

We are hoping for good weather on Sunday.
3
几部让人翘首企盼的录像片终于将在这个月到货。

jī bù ràng rén qiáo shǒu qǐ pàn de lù xiàng piàn zhōng yú jiāng zài zhè gè yuè dào huò。

Several long-awaited videos will finally arrive in the shops this month.
4
我期盼着能与他建立长期而有成效的合作关系。

wǒ qī pàn zháo néng yǔ tā jiàn lì cháng qī ér yǒu chéng xiào de hé zuò guān xì。

I am looking forward to a long and successful partnership with him.
5
对许多人来说,他们期盼已久的还乡之行却令他们大失所望。

duì xǔ duō rén lái shuō, , tā mén qī pàn yǐ jiǔ de huán xiāng zhī háng què líng tā mén dà shī suǒ。

For many, their long-awaited homecoming was a bitter disappointment.
6
盼望有一天有人会研制出一种能有效预防疟疾的疫苗。

pàn wàng yǒu yī tiān yǒu rén huì yán zhì chū yī zhǒng néng yǒu xiào yù fáng nüè jí de yì miáo。

Roll on the day someone develops an effective vaccine against malaria.
7
乔伊丝从一位大夫奔波到另一位那里,期盼着有人会认真听她的话。

qiáo yī sī cóng yī wèi dà fū bēn bō dào lìng yī wèi nà lǐ, , qī pàn zháo yǒu rén huì rèn zhēn tīng tā de。

Joyce traipsed from one doctor to another, praying that someone would listen.
8
我们期盼着他某一天再回家。

wǒ mén qī pàn zháo tā mǒu yī tiān zài huí jiā。

We were expecting him home again any day now.
9
盼复,您的诚挚的,威廉·福克纳

pàn fù, , nín de chéng zhì, de ,· wēi lián ·

Waiting to hear from you, Yours sincerely, William Faulkner.
10
盼望音信而家书却不到,那滋味可真是难受 啊 !

pàn wàng yīn xìn ér jiā shū què bù dào, , nà zī wèi kě zhēn shì nán shòu!

It's terrible to hunger for news when the family's letters don't arrive!

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Word Family of 盼

Words Containing This Character11
盼pànto hope for
期盼qīpànto anticipate
盼望pànwàngto hope for
企盼to expect
盼头hopes盼頭
左顾右盼zuǒgùyòupànglancing to left and right (idiom); to look all around左顧右盼
顾盼to look around顧盼
切盼keenly desired
顾盼自雄to strut about feeling complacent (idiom)顧盼自雄
翘盼to long for翹盼
奢盼an extravagant hope
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 盼

What does 期盼 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 盼

Yes, while 盼 is often used for personal or emotional hopes, it can also express aspirations or goals.

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