ce1 mong6奢望
Jyutpingce1 mong6
Yalechē mohng
Definition
An extravagant or unrealistic hope; to have over-ambitious expectations or desire the unobtainable.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Carries a strong nuance of self-awareness that the desired outcome is unlikely or beyond one's reach. It is frequently used in negative constructions to express humility or a realistic outlook on life. Unlike the neutral hope, this implies a sense of longing for something that is practically impossible.
Examples
I dare not hope for a promotion or a raise.
Do you really expect him to turn over a new leaf?
Related words
Common phrases
dare not hope for
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 期望, which is a neutral term for expectation or hope. Using 奢望 implies you have already given up on the possibility of the event actually happening.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
