Chinese word

盼

Pronunciation

Pinyinpàn

Meaning

  • verblook forward to

Example

我们一直盼着他的消息。wǒ men yì zhí pàn zhe tā de xiāo xī

We have been looking forward to news from him.

Illustration for 盼 (look forward to)

More examples

他盼望已久的梦想终于实现了。tā pàn wàng yí jiǔ de mèng xiǎng zhōng yú shí xiàn le

The dream he had long hoped for finally came true.

Core concept

A gaze stays fixed on a hoped-for person, message, or event until it arrives.

Common phrases

  • 盼望已久pàn wàng yí jiǔ

    long-hoped-for

  • 盼着那一天pàn zhe nà yì tiān

    look forward to that day

Similar words

盼望pàn wàng: Strongly hope for something to happen and eagerly await its fulfillment.
期待qī dài: Look forward to a good result or a favorable response.
等待děng dài: Wait for a person or event to arrive, often over a period of time.
希望xī wàng: Hope or wish for something to happen.

Definition in Chinese

用目光注视并在心里等待，希望某事或某人到来或传来消息。yòng mù guāng zhù shì bìng zài xīn lǐ děng dài xī wàng mǒu shì huò mǒu rén dào lái huò chuán lái xiāo xī

Word origin

盼 (pàn, "to long for") combines 目 (mù, "eye") with 分 (fēn, "to divide") as its sound-bearing part, and its older eye-related sense developed into watching for what is awaited and longing for it.

Usage tips

  • English often uses "expect" for a neutral prediction, but this Chinese verb usually carries personal hope or longing, even when the awaited thing is simply news.

Other meanings

  • expectverb
  • hope forverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word