The Meaning of shibou [志望] In Japanese

志望
しぼう
Romaji: shibou N3

What does 志望 mean?

Translation and Meaning

desire to join, aspiration, application (to a school, company)

Definition

志望 denotes a person’s will or intention to join or enroll in a particular organization or program; it captures the aspirational aim behind applying and is used in formal contexts such as admissions and job applications.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning a strong desire or intention to pursue admission or employment with a specific institution or company.
  • Nuance indicates a longer-term goal; typically used in formal writing rather than casual speech.
  • Common collocations include 志望動機, 志望校, 志望業界 to express motivation, preferred school, or industry.

Etymology

志 (kokorozashi, on’yomi shi) and 望 (nozomi, on’yomi bou) combine to form 志望; this Sino-Japanese compound yields the reading shibou.

Composition

  • 志 = will, intention
  • 望 = hope, desire
  • Combined meaning = one’s will toward a future goal, typically the aspiration to join a school, program, or company.

Usage

Used mainly in formal settings to express an applicant’s aim or preferred choice; common contexts include admissions essays, job applications, and statements of purpose; collocations reveal a target such as 志望校 or 志望業界.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 志 as your personal will and 望 as a distant goal you look toward; when you combine them you obtain 志望, the will toward the goal, or the aim you state when applying to a program or institution.

Variations

  • 希望 (kibou) — hope, wish
  • 志 (kokorozashi) — will, ambition
  • 願望 (ganbou) — desire

Example Phrases

  • 志望校 に 合格 する ため 毎日 勉強 しています。
    shiboukou ni goukaku suru tame mainichi benkyou shiteimasu.
    I study every day to get into my target school.
    Lista:
    • 志望校 (shiboukou) – target school
    • に (ni) – to
    • 合格 (goukaku) – pass (admission)
    • する (suru) – do
    • ため (tame) – for the sake of / in order to
    • 毎日 (mainichi) – every day
    • 勉強 (benkyou) – study
    • しています (shiteimasu) – am studying
    The noun 「志望」 expresses aspiration; in this sentence it forms 「志望校」 meaning the school you aspire to attend, and 「ため」 marks purpose: 志望校に合格するため = in order to be admitted to your chosen school.
  • 来年 は 進学 を 目指し 志望校 の 資料 を 集める
    rainen wa shingaku o mezashi shiboukou no shiryou o atsumeru
    Next year, I aim for higher education and gather information on my preferred schools.
    Lista:
    • 来年 (rainen) – next year
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 進学 (shingaku) – advancing to higher education
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 目指し (mezashi) – aiming for
    • 志望校 (shiboukou) – school of choice
    • の (no) – possessive
    • 資料 (shiryou) – materials
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 集める (atsumeru) – to gather
    The target word is 「進学」, meaning moving on to higher education. Here it functions as the object of 目指す (to aim for).
志望