ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

to hope; rare

7 strokes · 爻-like crosses + 巾 (cloth) — fabric woven so fine it's rare · HSK 2

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

1st xī
to hope
2nd xí
to practice
3rd xǐ
to wash
4th xì
fine

Words unlocked by 希

希望 xīwàng
to hope
希望工程 Xīwàng Gōngchéng
Project Hope
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