Chinese word

遗愿

Pronunciation

Pinyinyí yuàn

Meaning

  • nounlast wish

Example

奶奶的遗愿是全家团聚。nái nǎi de yí yuàn shì quán jiā tuán jù

Grandma's last wish is for the whole family to get together.

Illustration for 遗愿 (last wish)

More examples

在出院前，他交代家人照顾宠物，这是他的遗愿。zài chū yuàn qián tā jiāo dài jiā rén zhào gù chǒng wù zhè shì tā de yí yuàn

Before being discharged from the hospital, he told his family to take care of his pet; this was his last wish.

Core concept

A personal hope passed on to loved ones near the end of life, waiting for fulfillment after the speaker is gone.

Common phrases

  • 实现遗愿shí xiàn yí yuàn

    carry out a last wish

  • 尊重遗愿zūn zhòng yí yuàn

    honor a last wish

Similar words

遗嘱yí zhǔ: A written legal record of a person's instructions for after death.
遗言yí yán: A dying person's last words or stated wishes, given by speech or in writing.
心愿xīn yuàn: A heartfelt wish for something a person wants to achieve in daily life.

Definition in Chinese

临终或去世时本人希望实现的愿望，通常指生命结束前最后交代或期待的事项。lín zhōng huò qù shì shí běn rén xī wàng shí xiàn de yuàn wàng tōng cháng zhǐ shēng mìng jié shù qián zuì hòu jiāo dài huò qī dài de shì xiàng

Word origin

The compound 遗愿 (yíyuàn, "last wish") joins the idea of leaving something behind with the idea of a wish, linking the word to a hope entrusted to others at life's end.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word normally belongs to serious family or end-of-life conversations, not to an ordinary plan or request for tomorrow.

Related words

  • 遗愿清单yí yuàn qīng dānlast-wish listnoun

Word lists with this word