Japanese symbol for “hope”
希望
きぼう
Romaji: kibou
hope; wish; aspiration
In Japanese, hope is 希望, read きぼう (kibou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, vs, vt hope; wish; aspiration
- n (bright) prospects; expectation
Written forms: 希望、冀望. Readings: きぼう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hope”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見込み | みこみ mikomi | hope; promise; possibility |
| 期待 | きたい kitai | expectation; anticipation; hope |
| 願い | ねがい negai | desire; wish; hope |
| 望み | のぞみ nozomi | wish; desire; hope |
| 考え | かんがえ kangae | wish; hope; expectation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 希少 | きしょう kishou | scarce; rare |
| 希薄 | きはく kihaku | thin (air); weak (liquid); dilute |
| 希求 | ききゅう kikyuu | longing; strong desire; aspiration |
| 古希 | こき koki | 70th birthday |
| 希釈 | きしゃく kishaku | dilution |
| 絶望 | ぜつぼう zetsubou | despair; hopelessness |
| 要望 | ようぼう youbou | demand for; request |
| 望む | のぞむ nozomu | to desire; to want; to wish for |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hope”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.