Japanese word

鳥居

Pronunciation

Romajitorii

Meaning

  • nounShinto shrine gate

Example

赤い鳥居をくぐります。aka i tori i o ku gu ri ma su

I pass through the red Shinto shrine gate.

Illustration for 鳥居 (Shinto shrine gate)

More examples

神社の入り口に鳥居があります。jin ja no i ri guchi ni tori i ga a ri ma su

There is a torii at the entrance to the shrine.

Core concept

A torii stands at a Shinto shrine entrance and separates ordinary surroundings from the shrine's sacred area.

Common phrases

  • 鳥居をくぐるtori i o ku gu ru

    pass through a torii

  • 鳥居の前tori i no mae

    in front of a torii

  • 神社の鳥居jin ja no tori i

    Shinto shrine gate

Definition in Japanese

神社の入口に設けられ、神聖な場所と外部との境を示す門。jin ja no iri guchi ni mō ke ra re shin sei na ba sho to gai bu to no sakai o shime su mon

Word origin

The origin of 鳥居 (torii) is uncertain; its written form combines 鳥 (tori, "bird") and 居 (i, "dwelling"), but this does not prove the word came from those meanings.

Usage tips

  • English descriptions often call a torii a gate even though it usually has no hinged door or wall across the passage.

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