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指望 (zhǐ wàng) — (verb) to count on, to bank on, to place one's hopes on; (noun) hope, prospect, something to rely on for the future

Definition

指望 leans on 'counting on someone' — they hold up their end, and you can rely on them. 希望 is a broader 'to hope/wish'; 期望 and 盼望 add stronger, more patient longing.

verb
to count onto bank onto place one's hopes on
noun
hope, prospect, something to rely on for the future

Examples

  • 指望。
    Wǒ zhǐ wàng tā néng àn shí wán chéng rèn wu.
    I'm counting on him to finish the task on time.
  • 指望。
    Zhè jiàn shì yǐ jīng méi yǒu zhǐ wàng le.
    There's no hope left for this matter.
  • 指望，。
    Bié zhǐ wàng tā le, tā cóng lái bù shǒu xìn yòng.
    Don't count on him — he never keeps his word.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

指zhǐpoint
望wànglook

指 points and 望 looks toward something, giving hope or reliance.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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
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