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| 志愿 [2025/08/12 10:17] – created xiaoer | 志愿 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== zhìyuàn: 志愿 - Volunteer, Aspiration, Wish ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** zhiyuan, 志愿, volunteer in Chinese, Chinese for aspiration, volunteer work, college application China, zhiyuan meaning, Gaokao, Chinese culture, HSK 5 | |
| * **Summary:** Discover the deep meaning of **志愿 (zhìyuàn)**, a versatile Chinese word that means both 'to volunteer' and 'an aspiration' or 'wish'. Essential for understanding Chinese culture, **志愿** is famously used in the high-stakes college application process (**高考志愿 gāokǎo zhìyuàn**) and also describes the growing spirit of volunteerism in modern China. This guide breaks down its characters, cultural significance, and practical use with clear examples. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** zhìyuàn | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Noun, Verb | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** A personal wish, aspiration, or the act of volunteering. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **志愿 (zhìyuàn)** is a powerful word that combines one's personal will and heartfelt desire. It's not just a fleeting wish, but a firm, considered choice that comes from within. This can be a long-term life goal, like your chosen university and major, or an immediate, selfless act, like volunteering your time for a cause. The common thread is that the action or goal is undertaken willingly and with purpose. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **志 (zhì):** This character means 'will', 'ambition', or 'record'. It's a combination of 士 (shì), which can represent a scholar or person, and 心 (xīn), the 'heart' or 'mind'. Together, they create a picture of "the ambition held within one's heart." | |
| * **愿 (yuàn):** This character means 'to wish' or 'to desire'. It's composed of 原 (yuán), meaning 'source' or 'origin', and 心 (xīn), the 'heart'. Thus, it signifies a "wish that comes from the source of one's heart." | |
| When combined, **志愿 (zhìyuàn)** literally means an "ambition-wish." This fusion creates a word that expresses a desire that is both a firm goal (the 志 part) and a deep, personal hope (the 愿 part). | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| The term **志愿** holds significant weight in two major areas of Chinese life, offering a window into both traditional values and modern societal shifts. | |
| **1. The Gaokao Aspiration (高考志愿):** | |
| For Chinese teenagers, **志愿** is most famously associated with the **高考 (gāokǎo)**, the national college entrance exam. After receiving their scores, students must **填报志愿 (tiánbào zhìyuàn)**, or "fill in their application choices." This is a monumental, life-altering decision. | |
| Unlike the American system where students often apply to many universities, the Chinese system has historically been more rigid. A student's list of **志愿** is a carefully ranked declaration of their desired universities and majors. The "first choice" (**第一志愿 dìyī zhìyuàn**) is a statement of their ultimate dream. This process is filled with immense pressure and family consultation, as this single list can determine a person's entire career path and future social standing. The word **志愿** here isn't just an "application"—it's a formal declaration of one's life's aspiration. | |
| **2. The Spirit of Volunteerism (志愿精神):** | |
| While volunteerism is a global concept, its modern form in China has unique cultural roots. The concept of **志愿服务 (zhìyuàn fúwù - volunteer service)** gained massive momentum after national events like the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, where millions of citizens, or **志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě)**, mobilized to help. | |
| This spirit connects to the traditional collectivist value of contributing to the group's welfare. However, modern volunteerism is also a symbol of growing civic engagement and individual expression. To be a **志愿者** is seen as a noble act, reflecting a person's high moral character and willingness to contribute to society without expecting material reward. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **志愿** is used in both formal and specific contexts. | |
| * **As a Noun (Aspiration/Choice):** This is the most common usage, especially in the context of education. | |
| * **高考志愿 (gāokǎo zhìyuàn):** College application choices. | |
| * **第一志愿 (dìyī zhìyuàn):** First-choice university or program. | |
| * **我的志愿是... (wǒ de zhìyuàn shì...):** "My aspiration is..." Used to state a serious goal. | |
| * **As a Verb (to Volunteer):** Using **志愿** as a verb is more formal than in English. It implies a solemn, personal pledge. | |
| * `我志愿加入... (wǒ zhìyuàn jiārù...)` - "I volunteer to join..." (e.g., an organization, the army). This is often heard in oaths or formal ceremonies. | |
| * **In Compounds:** | |
| * **志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě):** A volunteer (the person). This is the most common way to talk about volunteers. | |
| * **志愿服务 (zhìyuàn fúwù):** Volunteer service/work. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 填写**高考志愿**是一个非常重要的决定。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tiánxiě **gāokǎo zhìyuàn** shì yī ge fēicháng zhòngyào de juédìng. | |
| * English: Filling out the college application choices is a very important decision. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence highlights the most significant cultural use of **志愿**. Here, it's a noun referring to the specific list of university choices a student submits. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 他是一个热心的**志愿者**，经常去社区帮忙。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā shì yī ge rèxīn de **zhìyuànzhě**, jīngcháng qù shèqū bāngmáng. | |
| * English: He is an enthusiastic volunteer and often goes to help out in the community. | |
| * Analysis: This example shows the compound noun **志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě)**, the person who volunteers. This is the most common way to refer to a volunteer in daily conversation. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 我的第一**志愿**是北京大学。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ de dìyī **zhìyuàn** shì Běijīng Dàxué. | |
| * English: My first choice for university is Peking University. | |
| * Analysis: **第一志愿 (dìyī zhìyuàn)** means "first choice" or "top pick." It clearly and powerfully states a primary goal in a competitive selection process. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 毕业后，她的**志愿**是成为一名教师。 | |
| * Pinyin: Bìyè hòu, tā de **zhìyuàn** shì chéngwéi yī míng jiàoshī. | |
| * English: After graduation, her aspiration is to become a teacher. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **志愿** functions as "aspiration" or "ambition," referring to a career goal. It's more formal and implies a more serious commitment than simply saying "she wants to be a teacher." | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 很多大学生都参加**志愿服务**活动。 | |
| * Pinyin: Hěn duō dàxuéshēng dōu cānjiā **zhìyuàn fúwù** huódòng. | |
| * English: Many university students participate in volunteer service activities. | |
| * Analysis: **志愿服务 (zhìyuàn fúwù)** is a set phrase for "volunteer service" or "volunteer work." It's often used in official or organizational contexts. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 我**志愿**为国家的建设贡献自己的力量。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ **zhìyuàn** wèi guójiā de jiànshè gòngxiàn zìjǐ de lìliàng. | |
| * English: I volunteer to contribute my own strength to the nation's development. | |
| * Analysis: This shows **志愿** used as a formal verb. The tone is very serious and patriotic, almost like an oath. You wouldn't use this for simple, everyday volunteering. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 你弟弟的**志愿**填好了吗？他想学什么专业？ | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ dìdi de **zhìyuàn** tián hǎo le ma? Tā xiǎng xué shénme zhuānyè? | |
| * English: Has your younger brother finished filling in his university choices? What major does he want to study? | |
| * Analysis: A practical, conversational question about the Gaokao process. **志愿** is understood by everyone to mean the application form. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 我们公司正在招募**志愿者**去贫困地区支教。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī zhèngzài zhāomù **zhìyuànzhě** qù pínkùn dìqū zhījiào. | |
| * English: Our company is recruiting volunteers to go teach in impoverished areas. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows the practical use of **志愿者** in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 如果分数不够，你可能会被调剂到第二**志愿**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Rúguǒ fēnshù bùgòu, nǐ kěnéng huì bèi tiáojì dào dì'èr **zhìyuàn**. | |
| * English: If your score isn't high enough, you might be reassigned to your second-choice university. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence demonstrates the ranked nature of the **志愿** system, introducing the concept of a "second choice" (**第二志愿 dì'èr zhìyuàn**). | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * **志愿**精神是社会文明进步的标志。 | |
| * Pinyin: **Zhìyuàn** jīngshén shì shèhuì wénmíng jìnbù de biāozhì. | |
| * English: The spirit of volunteerism is a sign of a society's civilization and progress. | |
| * Analysis: **志愿精神 (zhìyuàn jīngshén)** is a conceptual term for the "volunteer spirit." This abstract usage is common in media and official discussions about social values. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **志愿 (zhìyuàn) vs. 希望 (xīwàng):** This is a key distinction. | |
| * **志愿 (zhìyuàn)** is a concrete, firm aspiration or a decision to act. It implies a plan or a formal choice. | |
| * **希望 (xīwàng)** is a more general "hope" or "wish." It can be used for things outside of your control. | |
| * *Correct:* 我的**志愿**是当医生。 (Wǒ de **zhìyuàn** shì dāng yīshēng.) - My aspiration is to be a doctor. (A firm goal) | |
| * *Correct:* 我**希望**明天不下雨。 (Wǒ **xīwàng** míngtiān bù xiàyǔ.) - I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. (A general hope) | |
| * *Incorrect:* 我的**希望**是清华大学。 (Wǒ de **xīwàng** shì Qīnghuá Dàxué.) | |
| * *Why it's wrong:* Applying to a university is a formal, deliberate choice, not just a vague hope. You must use **志愿**. | |
| * **Using 志愿 as a Verb:** English speakers often want to say "I volunteer" using the verb **志愿**. While grammatically possible, it's very formal. For casual situations, it's much more natural to say: | |
| * `我来帮忙吧！ (Wǒ lái bāngmáng ba!)` - "Let me help!" | |
| * `我是个志愿者。 (Wǒ shì ge zhìyuànzhě.)` - "I'm a volunteer." | |
| * Reserve the verb **志愿** for formal declarations, like `我志愿加入中国共产党 (Wǒ zhìyuàn jiārù Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng)`. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[志愿者]] (zhìyuànzhě) - The noun for "volunteer," the person who performs the act of **志愿**. | |
| * [[高考]] (gāokǎo) - The National College Entrance Exam, the single most important context where **志愿** is used to mean "application choice/aspiration." | |
| * [[理想]] (lǐxiǎng) - Ideal, dream. A close synonym for the "aspiration" meaning, but **理想** is often more abstract, philosophical, or a "perfect-world" goal, while **志愿** is a concrete choice within a system. | |
| * [[希望]] (xīwàng) - To hope, wish. A more general, common, and less formal term for wanting something to happen. | |
| * [[愿意]] (yuànyì) - To be willing. This is the verb you use to express willingness for a specific, immediate action. "你愿意帮忙吗？" (Are you willing to help?). | |
| * [[梦想]] (mèngxiǎng) - Dream. Similar to **理想**, but carries a more passionate, personal, and sometimes less realistic connotation. Your **志愿** is how you might try to achieve your **梦想**. | |
| * [[抱负]] (bàofù) - Ambition, aspiration. A very formal and strong word, usually referring to grand, long-term ambitions for one's career or for society. | |
| * [[义务]] (yìwù) - Duty, obligation, requirement. This is the antonym of **志愿**. **义务** is something you //must// do (e.g., 义务教育 - compulsory education), whereas **志愿** is something you //choose// to do. | |