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How to say 'Holy' in Japanese | 聖

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

The Japanese word for Holy is 'Sei', written as 聖 in Japanese.'Holy' in hiragana is せい.

    word

    Meaning

    Holy

    Reading

    せい

    sei

    Kanji

    Saint, Holy

    Explanation

    The Japanese prefix '聖 (せい)' means 'holy' or 'sacred'. It is often used in religious or spiritual contexts to denote something revered or divine. This prefix is commonly attached to nouns to form compound words, such as '聖地 (せいち)' (holy place) or '聖書 (せいしょ)' (holy book/Bible). For example: This is a holy place「ここは聖地です」(ここはせいちです). The Bible is a holy book「聖書は聖なる本です」(せいしょはせいなるほんです). The prefix can also be used in secular contexts to emphasize something exceptional or revered, such as '聖域 (せいいき)' (sacred ground or sanctuary).

    Part Of Speech

    prefix

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    6

    Frequency

    3647

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Saint, Holy

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 聖 as well.

  • word

    聖書

    Meaning

    Bible

  • word

    聖人

    Meaning

    Saint

Learn the Word

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What does 'Sei' (聖) mean?

'Sei' means 'Holy' .

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