望 kanji stroke order 望 japanese kanji writing 望 kanji diagram-kanji lookup

1. The Core Meaning and Usage of "望"

The kanji 望 encompasses meanings related to looking into the distance, hope, ambition, and reputation. It conveys a sense of striving and vision.

A. Meaning: Hope, Desire, Ambition

• Reading: Nozomi (のぞみ), Nozomu (のぞむ), Bou (ボウ)

• Meaning: To wish for something; to hope; an ambition.

• Examples:

• 希望 (kibou) = hope, wish (Note: 希 also means hope, making this a strong compound)

• 望み (nozomi) = a wish, hope, desire

• 望む (nozomu) = to desire, to wish for

• 野望 (yabou) = ambition, aspiration (often with a connotation of grand, sometimes ruthless, ambition)

B. Meaning: To Gaze Into the Distance, View

• Reading: Bou (ボウ)

• Meaning: To look at something far away; a scenic view.

• Examples:

• 眺望 (choubou) = a view, panorama, prospect

• 望遠鏡 (bouenkyou) = telescope (lit. "mirror for viewing far away")

• 展望 (tenbou) = outlook, view, prospect

C. Meaning: Reputation, Prestige

• Reading: Bou (ボウ)

• Meaning: Good reputation; prestige; to be looked up to.

• Examples:

• 人望 (jinbou) = popularity, prestige, the confidence of the people

• 信望 (shinbou) = trust and confidence, credibility

D. Meaning: The Full Moon

• Reading: Bou (ボウ)

• Meaning: This is a classical meaning, referring to the 15th night of the lunar month when the moon is full.

• Examples:

• 満月を望む (mangetsu o nozomu) = to look upon the full moon (using the verb form)

• 望月 (mochizuki / mougetsu) = full moon (a surname derived from this meaning)

2. Correct Kanji Writing and Stroke Order

"望" is an intricate but elegant character with 11 strokes. Its structure is best understood as a combination of three parts.

Stroke Order (11 Strokes):

Let's break it down from top to bottom:

1. The Top Part: "Perish" 亡 (ぼう)

• Stroke 1: A dot (丶) at the top.

• Stroke 2: A short horizontal stroke.

• Stroke 3: A vertical stroke that curves into a hook, then a horizontal stroke that tapers off. This creates the enclosed space. (This is the modern form of 亡).

2. The Middle Part: "Moon" 月 (つき)

• Stroke 4: A left-falling vertical stroke.

• Stroke 5: A horizontal折 (oré) stroke. This is one fluid stroke: a short horizontal line that turns sharply downward into a longer vertical, hooking slightly inward at the end.

• Stroke 6: A short horizontal stroke inside.

• Stroke 7: A final short horizontal stroke at the bottom. (Note: In some fonts, the middle two strokes appear as two verticals, but the standard writing order uses horizontals).

3. The Bottom Part: "King" 王 (おう)

• Stroke 8: A horizontal stroke.

• Stroke 9: A second horizontal stroke.

• Stroke 10: A vertical stroke down the center, cutting through the two horizontals.

• Stroke 11: A long, final horizontal stroke at the bottom. This stroke is crucial for providing a solid base and visual stability to the entire character.

Visual Guide: For a dynamic view, search "望 stroke order" on websites like jisho.org or kakijun.jp.

Key Writing Tips:

• Proportion: The top "亡" should be relatively compact. The "月" (moon) should be centered and slightly narrower. The bottom "王" (king) should be the widest part, acting as a firm foundation.

• Balance: The final horizontal stroke of "王" (Stroke 11) is the anchor. It should be long and steady, ensuring the character doesn't look top-heavy.

• Clarity: Keep the components distinct, especially ensuring "月" doesn't get squashed between "亡" and "王".

3. Historical Origin and Etymology

The history of "望" is a story of layered meanings, beautifully connecting its modern senses.

1. The Original Form and Meaning:
   The earliest form of "望" in oracle bone script depicted a person (人) standing on the ground (土 or 王, which originally represented a mound or base), straining their eyes to look at the moon (月).

• The "person" element has been stylized and simplified over time into what we now see as the top part, "亡" (bou). Interestingly, "亡" originally meant "to hide" or "to flee," but in "望," it primarily acts as a phonetic component (providing the bou sound) and perhaps carries a nuance of the person being distant or obscured.

2. The Components and Their Roles:

• 亡 (Bou): Primarily provides the sound (bou). Its original meaning is not directly relevant here.

• 月 (Moon): The core semantic component. The moon is the quintessential distant object that people gaze at.

• 王 (King): This component is a simplification of an earlier form that represented a person standing upright (like 立) or on a mound of earth. It signifies the act of standing and looking.

3. Evolution of Meaning:

• Step 1: The Literal Act: The original meaning was the very physical act of "gazing into the distance at the moon."

• Step 2: To Gaze, To Look Afar: The meaning broadened to simply "gazing into the distance" at any far-off object, not just the moon. This gives us words like 眺望 (view) and 望遠鏡 (telescope).

• Step 3: Mental Gazing -> Hope & Ambition: This is the key metaphorical leap. Just as one gazes into the physical distance, one can also "gaze" into the future or toward a desired goal. This act of focusing on a future possibility became the meaning of "hope," "desire," and "ambition." What you "look toward" is what you "hope for."

• Step 4: Being Looked At -> Reputation: If you are an important person, people "gaze" at you or "look up" to you. This led to the meaning of "reputation" and "prestige" (人望 - the trust people have in you).

Summary

In essence, "望" is a poetic kanji that captures the human experience of reaching beyond one's immediate surroundings—whether with the eyes, the heart, or the spirit. Its structure is a frozen image of an ancient person looking up at the night sky, a gesture that forever connects the act of seeing with the birth of hope.