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JLPT N26画 · 6 strokesradical 欲grade 6freq #820

desire, want

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ヨク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • ほっ.する
  • ほ.しい

Mnemonic

With a heart (心) yearning for more, I stretch out my hands (𠂇) to grasp my deepest desires.

About this kanji

The kanji 欲, pronounced as よく in on'yomi and ほっ.する or ほ.しい in kun'yomi, primarily means "desire" or "want." It is mainly used as a noun. You will often see it in words like 食欲 (しょくよく), which means "appetite," and 欲望 (よくぼう), meaning "desire." Another common use is in 欲しい (ほしい), which translates to "to want" and is used when expressing that you desire something. Additionally, there's 物欲 (ぶつよく), referring to a desire for material things. Note that while 欲 conveys a strong wish or craving, it's often best used in contexts that are not too casual.

Built from

𠂇

Example sentences

  • 新しいゲームが欲しいです。

    I want a new game.

Meanings across languages

English
desire, want
Tiếng Việt
khao khát, mong muốn
日本語
欲望, 願望
한국어
욕망, 원하다
中文
愿望, 想要
id
keinginan, ingin
th
ความปรารถนา, ต้องการ
es
deseo, querer
fr
désir, vouloir
de
Wunsch, Wollens
pt
desejo, quero

Common compounds

  • 食欲しょくよくappetite
  • 欲しいほしいto want, desirable
  • 欲望よくぼうdesire, lust
  • 物欲ぶつよくmaterial desire

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