望みます（のぞみます、nozomimasu）
- to wish

The Japanese word 望みます (のぞみます, *nozomimasu*) means "to wish," "to desire," "to hope," or "to expect." It expresses a strong desire or aspiration for something to happen or be achieved. It's a polite and formal verb, often used in business settings, formal letters, or when speaking respectfully to someone. The level of formality is similar to English phrases like "I would like to..." or "I hope...".

⚫︎ 合格を望みます Translation: I hope to pass (the exam). ⚫︎ ご成功を望みます Translation: I wish you success. ⚫︎ 今後のご活躍を望みます Translation: I hope for your continued success.

⚫︎ 望みます is used to express a wish, hope, or desire. It is a polite form, making it suitable for situations where you want to show respect. ⚫︎ It is often used to convey your feelings about someone else's achievement or future endeavors. ⚫︎ It is a good choice when writing formal emails or letters, especially when requesting something or offering congratulations. ⚫︎ You can use it in various tenses by conjugating it. For example, 望みました (nozomimashita) means "I wished/hoped" and 望む (nozomu) is the plain form meaning "to wish/desire."

⚫︎ The base form of the word is 望む (のぞむ, *nozomu*). ⚫︎ The polite form is 望みます (のぞみます, *nozomimasu*). ⚫︎ It is typically written with the kanji 望 and the hiragana みます in the polite form. ⚫︎ The kanji 望 means "to wish," "to hope," or "to desire." ⚫︎ Okurigana: The okurigana is む in the dictionary form and みます in the polite form. There is no other variation.

⚫︎ 願う (ねがう, *negau*) - to wish, to pray (more general and can be less formal) ⚫︎ 希望する (きぼうする, *kibousuru*) - to hope; to desire (a more formal and often used for official situations) ⚫︎ 期待する (きたいする, *kitaisuru*) - to expect; to hope; to anticipate

There isn't a direct antonym. However, you could consider words related to giving up or despair, but it is not a direct opposite. Some words that could be seen as opposites in meaning: ⚫︎ 諦める (あきらめる, *akirameru*) - to give up, to abandon ⚫︎ 絶望する (ぜつぼうする, *zetsubousuru*) - to despair

試験の成功を望みます。 ・Translation: I hope for success on the exam. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses a wish for someone's success in an examination.

皆様の健康とご多幸を望んでおります。 ・Translation: I wish you all good health and happiness. ・Explanation: This is a formal and polite way of wishing well to many people. The word おります (orimasu) is also polite.

The word 望 comes from the combination of the kanji 望 which is a pictograph of a person standing on a hilltop looking towards the moon. It implies "to look at" "to gaze at" and in extension means "to desire" or "to hope". The verb form 望む (nozomu) developed from this kanji, gradually acquiring the meaning of wishing or hoping for something, and eventually leading to the polite form 望みます (*nozomimasu*).