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How to say 'Buddha' in Japanese | 仏

Wondering how to say 'Buddha' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Buddha is 'Hotoke', written as 仏 in Japanese.'Buddha' in hiragana is ほとけ.

    word

    Meaning

    Buddha

    Reading

    ほとけ

    hotoke

    Kanji

    Buddha

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '仏 (ほとけ)' primarily refers to 'Buddha', the enlightened being in Buddhism. It can also refer to Buddhist statues or images representing Buddha. This term is deeply rooted in religious and spiritual contexts, often used in temples, during religious ceremonies, or in discussions about Buddhism. For example: I prayed to the Buddha「仏に祈った」(ほとけにいのった). The Buddha statue is very old「その仏像はとても古い」(そのぶつぞうはとてもふるい). Additionally, '仏' can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe someone who is very kind or saintly, though this usage is less common.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N2

    Kanji Grade

    5

    Frequency

    2282

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Buddha

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 仏 as well.

  • word

    仏教

    Meaning

    Buddhism

  • word

    念仏

    Meaning

    Prayer

Learn the Word

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What does 'Hotoke' (仏) mean?

'Hotoke' means 'Buddha' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.