In formal Japanese, 希望 (kibou) is used to express a want/desire instead of the grammar たい (tai) or 欲しい (hoshii). Please let us know your desired/preferred time. In terms of neutral nuances, 希望 (kibou) can be used in Japanese Keigo to express a desire, want or preference. You could use it to convey complete despair: In the second example, although the speaker has not explicitly stated that they are unhappy with the situation, it is still felt and understood by the listener that the speaker is probably not exactly overjoyed. However, the meaning of the sentence as a whole still has nuances of uncertainty lingering around it. In the first example, the final part “there is still hope” conveys a little positivity.

Karera ga watashi no kibou ni hantai shiteiru. In the same way, it can also be used to express a wish. Watashi tachi ha ikiteiru kagiri mada kibou ga aru.Īs long as we’re living, there is still hope. Quite often, 希望 (kibou) is used as a negative in neutral language. These two similar kanji in succession form 希望 (kibou), a word we can understand as quite literally “hope” in Japanese. This kanji appears in words that express “wish”, or “desire”. The second kanji, 望, means “hope” or “ambition” in Japanese. It is associated with scarcity, and is used in other words such as 希薄 (kihaku), meaning “thin, lacking, insufficient” and 希少 (kishou), meaning “rare”. The first kanji, 希, means “hope” in Japanese. Depending on the context, it can also overlap with nuances of wishing, or of an ambition/desire for something. 希望 (kibou) is a noun – it is the best translation of “hope” in Japanese.

If you were to search “hope” in a Japanese dictionary, 希望 (kibou) will always be the first entry. I have tailored this guide for beginners and intermediate learners of Japanese alike, so hopefully, you can find what you’re looking for! Let’s take a look at the meanings and kanji of 希望 (kibou) and 望み (nozomi)! Additionally, let’s talk about expressions you can use to say things like “I hope that…”, “hopefully”, or “I hope you feel better” in Japanese. In this ultimate guide, I explore all the ways to say “hope” in Japanese. Which expression you will need depends on which kind of situation you’re in. However, in Japanese, there are a number of expressions and phrases that we can use to express our hope. Whether we’re wishing for something, or praying that something will pan out a certain way, in English, we use the word “hope” in all of these scenarios. This could be when we’re feeling hopeful or when we’re wishing for something. Both of them are nouns and are used when referring to a hope that exists.Īt other times we may want to express our hope for something. These two words for hope in Japanese are 希望 (kibou) and 望み (nozomi) respectively. There are two words often used to refer to “hope”, and there are even more ways to express it. Despite seeming a little puzzling at first glance, there are actually a handful of ways to say “hope” in Japanese.

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