意愿 from HSK Level 6 Vocabulary List

The Chinese word 意愿 (yìyuàn) is composed of two characters: 意 (yì), meaning "thought" or "intention," and 愿 (yuàn), meaning "wish" or "desire." Together, these characters form the word 意愿, which can be translated as "intention," "will," or "desire."The character 意 (yì) is derived from the oracle bone script, which is the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, the character 意 is depicted as a person with a hand raised to their head, as if they are thinking. This image suggests that the character 意 is related to the concept of thought or intention.The character 愿 (yuàn) is also derived from the oracle bone script. In the oracle bone script, the character 愿 is depicted as a person kneeling with their hands raised in prayer. This image suggests that the character 愿 is related to the concept of wishing or desiring.When the characters 意 (yì) and 愿 (yuàn) are combined to form the word 意愿 (yìyuàn), the meaning of the word is expanded to include the idea of "intention" or "will." This is because the character 意 (yì) represents the internal thought or intention, while the character 愿 (yuàn) represents the external expression of that thought or intention.In modern Chinese, the word 意愿 (yìyuàn) is used in a variety of contexts. It can be used to refer to a person's intentions, wishes, or desires. It can also be used to refer to the collective will of a group of people.