希望
きぼう · kibou · JLPT N3 · noun
hope
🌠 希 rare + 望 gaze into the distance = longing for something scarce
希 means rare or scarce, and 望 means to look out toward something far off. Together they mean looking toward something rare that you want: hope. Sound hook: kibou sounds like key-bow, and hope is the key you hold out.
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.'