How to Write 愿 (yuàn) — Meaning “Wish; desire; willing.”

Imagine a heart (心) making a wish, and on top you see a 'factory' (厂) with a 'white' (白) sign — like a factory that makes wishes come true. So 'original white factory heart' helps you recall the top part 原 under which the heart sits.

Start with the top part 原 (9 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, dot), then write the bottom 心 (4 strokes: dot, hook, dot, dot). A common mistake is making the bottom heart too small or not centering it under the top — keep the heart aligned and the three dots evenly spaced.

Unlike 愿, which has the top part 原 (meaning 'original'), 悲 has the top part 非 ('not') and means 'sadness' or 'grief'. 㥯 is very rare and has a different top (resembling an ear) meaning 'hidden worry'; visually, 愿's top is a clear combination of 厂 and 白, while 悲's top has two parallel vertical strokes. In meaning, only 愿 is positive — wish or willingness.

愿 appears in common words like 愿意 ('willing') and 愿望 ('wish'). Culturally, people write New Year wishes (新年愿望) or make birthday wishes, and you often hear the polite question 你愿意吗? ('Are you willing?'). It expresses both desire and consent in everyday conversations.

Common words containing 愿 include: 愿意 (yuàn yì) — Willing; to want to.; 愿望 (yuàn wàng) — Wish; desire; aspiration.; 心愿 (xīn yuàn) — wish; aspiration.