欲望
yūwàng · HSK 7
desire
🤤 欲 desire + 望 hope/gaze = a craving you keep looking toward
欲 carries the sense of wanting or appetite; 望 means to hope for or gaze toward something far off. Together they name a strong wish or appetite that pulls your attention forward.
望 — 亡 (phonetic) + 月 moon + 王 king/standing figure
Originally a pictograph of a person standing on tiptoe gazing at the moon, expressing the idea of looking far into the distance. Over time the figure was reshaped and 亡 was added as a phonetic element. The meaning extended from 'gaze afar' to 'hope for' or 'expect.'