What is the Kanji for "Heaven"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Heaven", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Heaven" is "天".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Ama".

Its onyomi reading is "Ten".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "一" means "One" and can be read as "Ichi", "Itsu", and "Hito". And The kanji "大" means "Big" and can be read as "Oo", "Dai", and "Tai".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "天" mean in japanese?

"天" means "Heaven".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in First Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

天皇: "Emperor". The Japanese noun '天皇 (てんのう)' refers to the Emperor of Japan. The Emperor is the head of state and the highest-ranking person in the Japanese imperial family. The position of Emperor is hereditary and considered a highly revered and important role in Japanese society and culture. For example: The Emperor visited the shrine - (天皇は神社を参拝した).

天気予報: "Weather forecast". The Japanese noun '天気予報 (てんきよほう)' refers to a weather forecast, which is an estimate or prediction of the upcoming weather conditions. This can include information about temperature, rainfall, wind, and other meteorological factors. Weather forecasts are commonly used to help people prepare for and plan their activities around expected weather conditions. For example: The weather forecast predicted rain today - (天気予報では今日は雨が降ると予報されています). I checked the weather forecast before going out - (外出する前に天気予報を確認しました).

天: "Heaven". The Japanese noun '天 (てん)' means 'heaven'. It refers to the sky, the heavens, or the celestial realm. In Japanese cosmology and religion, '天' is often associated with the highest spiritual or divine realm. For example: The birds are flying in the heaven - (鳥が天を飛んでいる). Please send me to heaven - (天に送ってください).

天の川: "Milky Way". The Japanese noun '天の川 (あまのがわ)' refers to the Milky Way galaxy. This astronomical term describes the luminous band of stars and nebulae visible in the night sky. The Milky Way appears as a hazy, diffuse band of light due to the concentration of stars and cosmic dust in the plane of our galaxy. It is a prominent feature in Japanese culture and mythology. For example: I gazed up at the Milky Way - (私は天の川を見つめた).

雨天: "Rainy weather". The Japanese noun '雨天 (うてん)' refers to rainy or wet weather. It is used to describe a day or period of time when it is raining. This word can be used when planning outdoor activities or to discuss the weather forecast. For example: It's going to be rainy weather today - (今日は雨天です). We can't go to the park because of the rainy weather - (雨天のため、公園に行けません).

天下: "All-under-heaven". The noun '天下 (てんか)' means 'all-under-heaven'. It refers to the entire territory or world governed by a sovereign or ruler. This word is used to convey the idea of an all-encompassing or comprehensive domain of control or influence. For example: The emperor rules all-under-heaven - (天下を治める天皇). This land is known throughout all-under-heaven - (この国は天下に知られている).

天井: "Ceiling". The Japanese noun '天井 (てんじょう)' refers to the ceiling, which is the overhead interior surface of a room or building. It is the upper horizontal surface of an interior space, opposite the floor. The term can be used to describe both the physical structure as well as the perceived height or disposition of the ceiling. For example: The ceiling is high - (天井が高い). I hit my head on the ceiling - (天井にぶつかった).

天然: "Natural". The Japanese noun '天然 (てんねん)' means 'natural'. This word refers to something that is in its original, unmodified state, without any artificial or human intervention. It can be used to describe natural landscapes, untreated materials, or behaviors that are innate rather than learned. For example: Natural wood - (天然の木). She has a natural talent for singing - (彼女は歌うのが天然の才能がある).

天気: "Weather". The Japanese noun '天気 (てんき)' refers to the weather or atmospheric conditions at a particular time and place. It is used to describe the current state of the environment, such as whether it is sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc. For example: The weather is nice today - (今日の天気はいいですね). What is the weather like? - (天気はどうですか?)

天国: "Heaven". The Japanese word '天国 (てんごく)' refers to the concept of heaven, the place where the deceased are believed to go after death in some religious and spiritual traditions. It is considered a heavenly or divine realm, often associated with happiness, peace, and eternal life. For example: After he passed away, he went to heaven - (彼が亡くなった後、彼は天国に行った).

歩行者天国: "Pedestrian zone". The Japanese noun '歩行者天国 (ほこうしゃてんごく)' refers to a pedestrian zone or area that is closed off to vehicular traffic, allowing only pedestrians to access the area. These zones are commonly found in urban areas and are intended to promote a more walkable and safe environment for people. For example: The downtown area has been turned into a pedestrian zone on the weekends - (ダウンタウンの地域は週末に歩行者天国になります).

天才: "Genius". The Japanese noun '天才 (てんさい)' refers to a person who has exceptional intellectual abilities or creative talents. This word is used to describe someone who demonstrates a high level of intelligence, creativity, or skill that surpasses what is typical. For example: He is a true genius - (彼は本当の天才だ). She is considered a musical genius - (彼女は音楽の天才と考えられている).

天候: "Weather". The Japanese noun '天候 (てんこう)' means 'weather'. It refers to the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, including temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation. This word is commonly used to describe the overall weather conditions, such as 'nice weather' - (良い天候), 'rainy weather' - (雨の天候), or 'cold weather' - (寒い天候). Understanding the current '天候' is important for daily life, travel planning, and various outdoor activities.

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "て" is read as "te". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "あ" is read as "a". And The hiragana "ま" is read as "ma".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.