

Hope 希望
kibō2 characters18 strokes
希望 (kibō) means hope: the wish that things will turn out well, and the feeling of looking toward a brighter future.
Free practice sheet
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Meaning 意味
What 希望 means
The Japanese word for hope, written with 2 kanji and read kibō.
希望 is the feeling of wishing that something good will happen. It is a forward-looking word that points toward a bright future.
When people write it in Japan. In Japan, 希望 is a popular word for kakizome, the first calligraphy of the New Year, and for goals at the start of a new school term.
Both kanji are taught in 4th grade in Japan.
How to write it 書き方
Brush tips for 希望
Three things to watch
- In 希, keep the X shape at the top (メ) small. Below it, let the horizontal line and the left sweep spread the character wide.
- 望 is made of 亡, 月 and 王. Set the upper two side by side, and let 王 at the bottom support the whole character.
- In the 王 of 望, make the bottom horizontal line the longest.
Stroke order
Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.
Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to practice 練習
Trace first, then copy
- PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
- TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
- CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.
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