願 — “wish / request” in Japanese

Grade 4がん, ねが

Radical ⾴ · radical 181 The building block this kanji is filed under

“wish / request” in Japanese is 願, read gan, nega (がん, ねが). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as お願い (request / please).

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What does 願 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	願
Meaning	wish / request
Readings	がん, ねが
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	お願い (request / please)

How to read 願

願 is read gan (がん) or nega (ねが) depending on the word.

Words with 願

祈願
お願いwish / request

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Kanji read the same way as 願

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28