望wàng

望 (wàng), meaning "to look at" or "to hope for," appears unchanged from its traditional form in Simplified Chinese. The character beautifully combines a standing person (亻/臣) on elevated ground (土) gazing at the moon (月)—a poetic image of gazing into the distance that has endured for millennia. This visual etymology explains its meanings ranging from 望见 (to catch sight of) to 盼望 (to hope), all connected to that act of distant looking.