Onyomi: ヨク · Kunyomi: ほ.しい, ほっ.する · Meanings: covetousness, craving, desire, greed, longing, passion
Kanji for covetousness, craving, desire, greed, longing
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The kanji 欲 combines the elements 谷 (valley, opening) and 欠 (to lack, to open the mouth). In ancient script, it showed a person with an open mouth in a valley — symbolizing emptiness, longing, or a craving that echoes through space. It described the human feeling of wanting to fill that emptiness, whether with food, love, or dreams. Over time, this image became the concept of “desire” — the urge that arises when something is missing or deeply wished for.
欲 joins 谷 (valley) and 欠 (to lack or open the mouth), creating the image of an empty space calling out to be filled. It represents desire — the natural human feeling of wanting or craving something.
Picture yourself shouting into a deep valley (谷) with your mouth wide open (欠), wanting something so much that your voice echoes back — that longing sound is 欲, the kanji for desire.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 欲 | よく | greed, craving, desire, appetite, hunger, avarice, wants | common Noun, Noun, used as a suffix |
| 欲しい | ほしい | wanting (to have), desiring, wishing for | common JLPT-N5 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 欲張り | よくばり | greed, avarice, covetousness, greedy person | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 欲望 | よくぼう | desire, appetite, lust | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 欲しがる | ほしがる | to appear to want to have (something), to obviously want, to seem to want, to indicate a wish for | common Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Transitive verb |
| 欲する | ほっする | to want, to desire | common Suru verb - special class, Transitive verb |
| 欲求 | よっきゅう | desire, want, will, wish, urge, craving | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 欲張る | よくばる | to be greedy, to be avaricious, to want badly, to desire intensely, to covet | common Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 欲求不満 | よっきゅうふまん | frustration | Noun |
| 欲目 | よくめ | partiality, bias | Noun |