(pàn) — to long for, to look forward to, to eagerly await

Definition

盼 (pàn) means 'to long for' or 'look forward to,' with a stronger sense of eager waiting than 期望 (a calm, general hope). Often used as a verb in 盼着 + clause, like in the examples.

verb
to long forto look forward toto eagerly await

Examples

  • Wǒ pàn zhe zǎo rì huí jiā.
    I look forward to going home soon.
  • Tā pàn le sān nián cái děng dào zhè ge jī huì.
    She waited three years for this opportunity.
  • Hái zi men dōu pàn zhe chūn jié de dào lái.
    The children are all looking forward to the arrival of Spring Festival.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
fēnpàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盼 is made of 目 and 分; 分 gives the sound.

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