望

wàng
#326 most
frequent character
full moon, to hope, to expect

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

望 first drew an eye and an upright person, giving the sense to look far away. A moon 月 was later added, marking the first and fifteenth lunar days. In the modern shape, 亡 and 王 both supply the sound. The meaning grew to 'appearance' and 'to hope'.

Drawn as: eye; upright person; moon

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Same Characters, Different Readings

望wàng
15th day of month (lunar calendar)

Homophones

忘wàng
forget
王wàng
(literary) (of a monarch) to reign over (a kingdom)

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