The Meaning of kibou [希望] In Japanese

希望
きぼう
Romaji: kibou N4

What does 希望 mean?

Translation and Meaning

hope, wish, aspiration

Definition

What does 希望 mean? It denotes a feeling of wanting something to happen or a desired outcome—the sense of hope or aspiration. Used for personal wishes, goals for the future, or collective aims, and it can function as a noun or be used with 希望する to convey ‘to hope’ or ‘to wish for’.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Core sense: a feeling of wanting a future event or outcome to occur; a hopeful mindset.
  • In organizational or policy contexts, it refers to stated aims or desired goals.
  • As a verb phrase via 希望する, it expresses the act of hoping or wishing for something to happen.

Origin

The term appears in classical Japanese literature and Buddhist thought; the compound 希望 has long been used in both personal and public discourse and remains common in modern Japanese.

Composition

  • 希 — conveys desire or longing; associated with rarity and aspiration.
  • 望 — means to look forward, to hope, or to desire; conveys forward-looking intention.

Usage

Used as a formal noun in writing and speech to express a hoped-for outcome, or as the basis for 希望する when describing the act of hoping. In casual conversation, people may prefer more everyday terms like 願う or 望み; phrases with に or の plus the noun often indicate what is hoped for.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think ‘keep it in mind’ for a future goal — Kibou is what you keep in mind as you reach toward a distant, desired outcome; visualize a distant star just beyond reach and your eyes set on it to recall the word.

Variations

  • 願望 (ganbō) — desire or wish; a slightly stronger or more formal nuance than hope.
  • 望み (nozomi) — hope or expectation; more colloquial than 希望 in some contexts.
  • 願い (negai) — a simple wish or plea; common in everyday speech.
  • Antonym: 絶望 (zetsubou) — despair.

Example Phrases

  • 今日、希望を持って新しい仕事を探します。
    Kyō, kibō o motte atarashii shigoto o sagashimasu.
    Today, I’m looking for a new job with hope.
    Lista:
    • 今日、 (Kyō,) – today,
    • 希望を (kibō o) – hope
    • 持って (motte) – holding
    • 新しい (atarashii) – new
    • 仕事を (shigoto o) – job
    • 探します。 (sagashimasu.) – look for
    Uses the phrase 「希望を持つ」 to express holding hope; 「希望」 is the noun ‘hope’.
希望