Japanese Conversation · Level 116
60 words
Japanese word
霊
Pronunciation
Romajirei
Meaning
- nounghost
Example
その人は霊を見たと言っています。so no hito wa rei o mi ta to i tte i ma su
That person says they saw a ghost.
More examples
この家には霊がいると言われています。ko no ie ni wa rei ga i ru to i wa re te i ma su
People say that a ghost is in this house.
Core concept
Describes an unseen spiritual presence understood as the continuing essence of a person or being, whether viewed as a ghost, spirit, or soul.
Common phrases
霊を見るrei o mi ru
see a ghost
霊の気配を感じるrei no ke hai o kan ji ru
sense a ghost's presence
霊の話rei no hanashi
a story about a ghost
Similar words
幽霊yūrei: A spirit of a dead person, often imagined as appearing to the living.
お化けobake: A colloquial name for a frightening ghost or supernatural being.
Definition in Japanese
死者の魂や、人や物に宿ると考えられる超自然的な存在。shi sha no tamashii ya hito ya mono ni yado ru to kanga e ra re ru chō shi zen teki na son zai
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese word 霊 (rei, "spirit") uses the Japanese simplified form of the Chinese character 靈 (rei, "spirit"), whose older sense refers to a supernatural spirit or power.
Usage tips
- In Japanese storytelling, 霊 (rei) can refer to an unseen spirit without saying whether it is frightening or benevolent, so context determines the closest English translation.
Other meanings
- spiritnoun
- soulnoun
Related words
- 霊的reitekispiritualna-adjective