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梦寐以求 (mèng mèi yǐ qiú) — to have always dreamed of; to yearn for deeply

Definition

A formal idiom meaning something one has longed for deeply — the object is always something good (a job, peace, a dream), unlike 贪, which is greedy wanting for selfish gain.

phrase
to have always dreamed ofto yearn for deeply

Examples

  • 梦寐以求。
    Néng qù xī zàng lǚ yóu shì wǒ mèng mèi yǐ qiú de shì qing.
    Being able to travel to Tibet is something I've always dreamed of.
  • 梦寐以求。
    Tā zhōng yú dé dào le mèng mèi yǐ qiú de nà fèn gōng zuò.
    She finally got the job she had been dreaming of.
  • 梦寐以求。
    Hé píng shì quán shì jiè rén mín mèng mèi yǐ qiú de shēng huó.
    Peace is the life that people all over the world deeply yearn for.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夢; 梦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夕夕xī
Sound part声符shēngfú
瞢
瞢méng夢mèng
Same sound today

The traditional form 夢 pairs 夕 (night) with 瞢, which gives the sound; its older form showed a person lying with an eye emphasized.

Open 梦 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㝱㝱㝱dream
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi寐mèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The current 寐 uses 㝱 for dream and 未 for the sound. An earlier form may have shown a person sleeping on a bed in a room.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

求 began as a drawing of a centipede.

Open 求 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesWill & Intention

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.