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失望 (shī wàng) — (adjective) disappointed; (verb) to be disappointed; to lose hope

Definition

失望 is 'disappointed' — you hoped for something (希望) but it didn't happen. It's weaker than 绝望 (which means to despair entirely) and is the most common everyday word for this feeling.

adjective
disappointed
verb
to be disappointedto lose hope

Examples

  • 失望。
    Wǒ duì kǎo shì chéng jì hěn shī wàng.
    I am very disappointed with my exam scores.
  • ，失望。
    Tā nǔ lì le hěn jiǔ, dàn shì jié guǒ ràng tā hěn shī wàng.
    He worked hard for a long time, but the result disappointed him.
  • 失望，。
    Bié shī wàng, xià cì nǐ yí dìng kě yǐ de.
    Don't lose hope; you'll definitely make it next time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

失shīlose
望wànghope

'失' means lose and '望' means hope, so it describes losing hope.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 臣臣chéneye
  • 𡈼𡈼𡈼person standing on the ground

望 originally showed 臣 (eye) beside 𡈼 (person standing on the ground): a person standing up and looking off into the distance. Later 月 was added, and the 臣 part became 亡.

Open 望 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Emotions & Feelings2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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