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# wish

«wish» in Mova's school dictionary: **to want something to happen, even if it may not** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (wish, wishes, wished, wishing); noun (wish, wishes)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To wish means to want something to happen, even if it may not. A wish is that hope. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#m1)

2) In stories, a wish is a request that is made true by magic. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#m2)

3) To wish someone something is to say you hope they have it: I wish you a happy birthday. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#m3)

4) Best wishes are kind words at the end of a letter or card. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In maths: a hope or a want in a story; sometimes wishes are counted, or an amount wished for is a goal: needed = goal − have. In stories: a genie or a fairy grants three wishes; make a wish when you blow out the candles. Phrases: make a wish, wish for, I wish, best wishes, if you wish, wish someone well.

### examples

- The genie gave her 3 wishes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x1)
- He wishes to buy a game for $45. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x2)
- She wished for 10 more stickers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x3)
- They each made 2 wishes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x4)
- Close your eyes and make a wish. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x5)
- I wish it would stop raining. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x6)
- We wish you a happy holiday. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x7)
- Best wishes from all of us. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x8)
- You can sit here if you wish. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x9)
- I wish I had learnt it.” [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/#x10)

### note

Plural «wishes». «I wish I were» or «I wish I was» are both used; «were» is more formal. A wished amount is a goal: needed = goal − have. Otherwise a story word.

### In the corpora

- [In Japan there is a tradition of folding 1,000 paper cranes for a wish.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/378-china-s-mountains-golden-snub-nosed-monkeys-takins-red-crowned-cranes-and-giant-salamanders/16/)
- [Alice wishes she could "shut up like a telescope", meaning fold down smaller like a pull-out telescope.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/2-alice-ch1-part2-the-little-door/10/)
- [In the end she bursts into tears: "I do wish they would put their heads down!](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/3-alice-ch2-part1-curiouser-and-curiouser/20/)
- [In the middle is a dish of tarts that look so good that Alice wishes they'd hurry up and hand round the refreshments.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/21-alice-who-stole-the-tarts-1/2/)
- [Toad asks: «I wish you would kindly let me try and drive the car for a little...](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/64-willows-ch10-part4-into-the-horse-pond/16/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «wish» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wish/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.