念願

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 念願, read ねんがん, denotes something one has earnestly wished for over a long time.
• Basic usage: In 長年の念願だった自分の店を、ついに開いた。, the speaker finally opened the shop they had long dreamed of owning.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A long-held wish
  • The word suits a sustained aspiration, as in 長年の念願, rather than a passing wish. 念願がかなった means the wish came true.