希 xī wish
wish; to hope
How to remember 希: 㐅 cross mark + 布 cotton = wish. The tailor stitches a small cross mark onto the white cotton of the bride's dress and makes a quiet wish for her.
Component breakdown
希 = 㐅 cross mark + 布 cotton
- 㐅 cross mark
- 布 cotton
The tailor stitches a small cross mark onto the white cotton of the bride's dress and makes a quiet wish for her.
How it came to be
Two crossings drawn over cloth: weaving so loose one can see through it. Thin cloth is cloth with something missing, and scarce and hoped-for both come off that.
How it is used
- Almost exclusively half of 希望 (xīwàng) = to hope - 希望你来 (xīwàng nǐ lái) I hope you come.
- Trap: 希望 covers both the verb "hope" and the noun "hope"; it's for realistic wishes, whereas 但愿 (dànyuàn) carries a wistful "if only".
Characters built with 希
Words with 希
Example sentences
- 我希望明天不下雨。 Wǒ xīwàng míngtiān bú xiàyǔ.I hope it won't rain tomorrow.
- 我希望你能原谅我。 Wǒ xīwàng nǐ néng yuánliàng wǒ.I hope you can forgive me.