How do you say "wish" in Japanese?

願いを叶える

negai wo kanae ru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "wish" is 願いを叶える (negai wo kanae ru).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Ne-gai-wo-ka-na-e-ru is a long phrase, seven syllables, said briskly, with 'gai' gliding like the English word 'guy'.

Writing and usage

願いを叶える is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

お誕生日おめでとうございます。

o tanjoubi omedetougozaimasu.

I wish you a happy birthday.

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How to remember 願いを叶える

Negai sounds like 'nay, guy' — 'nay, guy, wishes don't come free', but you make yours come true anyway.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 願いを叶える

How do you pronounce 願いを叶える?

Ne-gai-wo-ka-na-e-ru is a long phrase, seven syllables, said briskly, with 'gai' gliding like the English word 'guy'.

Is 願いを叶える formal or casual?

願いを叶える is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 願いを叶える written in Japanese?

願いを叶える is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as negai wo kanae ru.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Wish" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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