ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
希
to hope; rare
xī
7 strokes · 爻-like crosses + 巾 (cloth) — fabric woven so fine it's rare · HSK 2
What 希 is made of
㐅 + 布 = 希
㐅crossed strokes (ancient five)
布cloth
Where 希 comes from
希 pictured loosely woven cloth — crosshatch over fabric 巾 — where threads are few and gaps show through. From 'sparse' came 'rare', and from rare came the reaching feeling: 希望 hoping for what is thin on the ground.
希 in Chinese culture
希望工程 Project Hope built schools across rural China — the word for hope carrying literal classrooms. 希 in names (like 希希) wishes a child rarity: may you be uncommon.
Example
希望 xīwàng — to hope
我希望明天天气好。
Wǒ xīwàng míngtiān tiānqì hǎo.
I hope the weather is good tomorrow.
How to remember it
Cloth 巾 woven so thin you see through it — RARE, and worth HOPING for.
物以稀为贵 'things are precious because scarce' — the economics of 希, priced into every limited-edition sneaker drop.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 希
希望 xīwàng
to hope
希望工程 Xīwàng Gōngchéng
Project Hope
Related characters
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