欲

音読おんよみ: ヨク

訓読くんよみ: ほっする・ほしい

画数かくすう: 11 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 欠(あくび)

Meaning

Desire, want, craving — often used in emotional or psychological expressions of wanting something.


  • よく — desire, greed
  • しい — to want (something)
  • ほっする — to desire, to crave
  • 食欲しょくよく — appetite
  • 性欲せいよく — sexual desire
  • 物欲ぶつよく — material greed
  • 無欲むよく — without desire, selfless

The 欲 character combines ⻖ (valley) and 欠 (yawn/lack), suggesting a deep, unfulfilled need — a craving or desire. Common in both daily expressions like “欲しい” and compound nouns indicating psychological or physical urges.

かねしいです。
I want money.

かれ成功せいこうほっしている。
He desires success.

食欲しょくよくがありません。
I have no appetite.

On-yomi: ヨク is used in compounds like 食欲 or 愛欲. Kun-yomi: ほしい (to want something) and ほっする (to desire) are both in common usage.

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