Onyomi: ガン · Kunyomi: -ねがい, ねが.う · Meanings: hope, petition, request, vow, wish
Kanji for hope, petition, request, vow, wish
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The kanji 願 is made from two parts: the radical 頁 (head or face) and 原 (origin, field, foundation). In ancient writing, it pictured a person bowing their head (頁) toward the origin or source of power (原) — showing sincere prayer or heartfelt desire. This image represented someone lowering their head before the gods or the heavens, expressing their deepest wish or plea. Over time, this became the kanji for “wish,” “hope,” or “request,” capturing the idea of a desire that comes straight from the heart.
願 combines 頁 (head) and 原 (origin). It shows someone bowing their head toward the source, expressing a heartfelt wish or prayer — the desire that comes from deep inside.
Imagine bowing your head (頁) to the heavens at the place where everything begins (原), whispering your deepest wish — that’s 願, the kanji for prayer and desire.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 願い | ねがい | desire, wish, hope | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 願 | がん | prayer, wish, vow | common Noun |
| 願う | ねがう | to desire, to wish, to hope | common JLPT-N3 Godan verb with 'u' ending, Transitive verb |
| 願書 | がんしょ | (written) application, written request, petition | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 願望 | がんぼう | desire, wish, aspiration | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 願い出る | ねがいでる | to ask for, to apply for, to make an application for, to file a request for, to submit (e.g. one's resignation) | Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 願い下げ | ねがいさげ | cancellation, withdrawal | Noun |
| 願い事 | ねがいごと | wish, desire, request, prayer | Noun |
| 願わくは | ねがわくは | I pray, I wish | common Adverb (fukushi) |
| 願い出 | ねがいで | application, petition | Noun |