Definition
但愿 (dàn yuàn) means 'if only' or 'I wish that' — it expresses a strong desire for something to happen or to have happened, often implying the situation is unlikely or contrary to fact. It is more literary and emphatic than the everyday 希望 (xīwàng 'to hope'), and unlike 愿 (yuàn), which is used in formal blessings or set phrases, 但愿 is used in exclamatory wishes about specific situations.
verb
to wishif only (expressing a desire for something to happen or to have happened)
Easily confused
- 单元dān yuánsound-alikeunit (a component of a larger whole, e.g., in a textbook or project)
Examples
- 但愿。dàn yuàn nǐ néng zǎo diǎnr lái.I wish you could come a little earlier.
- 但愿。dàn yuàn míngtiān bú xià yǔ.I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.
- 但愿。dàn yuàn wǒ dāngchū tīng le nǐ de jiànyì.I wish I had listened to your advice back then.
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