Meaning
期望 means to expect or hope for something, often with a sense of anticipation or desire for a particular outcome. It can be used both as a verb (to expect/hope) and as a noun (expectation/hope). The word carries a sense of looking forward to something with reasonable grounds for anticipation.
Usage
期望 is commonly used in formal and semi-formal contexts, such as workplace discussions, academic writing, and serious conversations about goals and aspirations. It's more formal than 希望 (xī wàng). Often used with 对 (duì) to indicate what one has expectations toward, as in 对...有期望 (to have expectations for...).
Examples
- 01父母对孩子的期望很高。.Parents have high expectations for their children.
- 02我们期望这个项目能在年底完成。.We expect this project to be completed by the end of the year.
Characters
Common collocations
- 对...有期望...to have expectations for...
- 期望值expected value, level of expectation
- 不负期望to live up to expectations
- 寄予期望to place one's hopes on
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to anticipation: 期 originally meant a fixed time period or deadline, while 望 meant to gaze into the distance. Together they express looking ahead toward a hoped-for outcome.