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願をかける (がんをかける) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, ichidan verb
make a wish to a god ; pray for a wish to come true
Used when someone makes a specific wish or prayer to a deity, often involving a vow or a small offering. Common in contexts like shrine visits or personal petitions.
、
まず
手て
を
合あ
わせ
て
心こころ
を
落お
ち
着つ
ける
。
When making a wish, first put your hands together and calm your mind.
Written forms 願がん をかける
Standard kanji spelling using 願 and the common verb かける.
願がん を 掛か ける
Alternative kanji for かける; 掛ける can imply a more deliberate or physical act, but here it is a conventional variant.
願がん を 懸か ける
Rare variant using 懸ける, which can carry a nuance of staking or risking, but in this phrase it is largely interchangeable.
Kanji 懸 state of suspension, hang, depend Similar words 祈いの る 祈る is a general verb for praying, while 願をかける specifically means making a wish or petition to a deity, often with a sense of a personal request.
願ねが う 願う is a broad verb for wishing or desiring, not necessarily religious. 願をかける is a set phrase for a religious or superstitious act of making a wish.
Etymology The phrase combines 願 (がん, 'wish' or 'prayer') with かける, which here carries a sense of 'to present' or 'to offer up' a wish to a deity. The exact origin of this use of かける is uncertain, but it is a conventional expression in Japanese religious contexts.
