Japanese word

存在

Pronunciation

Romajisonzai

Meaning

  • nounexistence

Example

その会社は今も存在します。so no gai sha wa ima mo son zai shi ma su

That company still exists.

Illustration for 存在 (existence)

More examples

あなたは幽霊の存在を信じますか。a na ta wa yū rei no son zai o shin ji ma su ka

Do you believe in the existence of ghosts?

Core concept

Describes something being there as a real or present part of the world.

Common phrases

  • 存在を確認するson zai o kaku nin su ru

    confirm the existence

  • 存在を認めるson zai o mito me ru

    acknowledge the existence

  • 存在の証明son zai no shō mei

    proof of existence

Similar words

実在jitsuzai: The state of being real rather than imagined or fictional.
現存genson: The state of still being present or surviving at a particular time.

Definition in Japanese

人や物事が現実にあること。hito ya mono goto ga gen jitsu ni a ru ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word combines 存 (son, "exist") and 在 (zai, "be present"), giving the sense of something being there.

Usage tips

  • The noun 存在 (sonzai) often appears in 存在する (sonzai suru), which means "to exist," while 存在 names the state of being there.

Other meanings

  • presencenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 存在感sonzaikanpresencenoun
  • 存在性sonzaiseiexistencenoun

Word lists with this word