How to say 'Spirit' in Japanese | 霊

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

The Japanese word for Spirit is 'Rei', written as 霊 in Japanese.'Spirit' in hiragana is れい.

word

霊

Meaning

Spirit

Reading

れい

rei

Kanji

霊Spirits

Explanation

The Japanese noun '霊 (れい)' refers to a 'spirit' or 'soul', often in a supernatural or religious context. It can denote the spirit of a deceased person, a ghost, or a spiritual entity. This word is commonly used in discussions about the afterlife, folklore, or spiritual practices. For example: the spirit of the deceased「亡くなった人の霊」(なくなったひとのれい). She believes in spirits「彼女は霊を信じている」(かのじょはれいをしんじている). It can also appear in compound words like '霊感 (れいかん)' (spiritual intuition) or '霊界 (れいかい)' (spirit world). Note that '霊' carries a nuanced, often mystical connotation and is distinct from more casual terms like '幽霊 (ゆうれい)' (ghost).

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

4186

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 霊

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

霊

Meaning

Spirits

Learn the Word 霊

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What does 'Rei' (霊) mean?

'Rei' means 'Spirit' .

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