spirits, soul
On'yomi (音読み)
- レイ
- リョウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- たま
About this kanji
The kanji 霊 primarily means "spirit" or "soul" and is commonly used as a noun. You might see it in compounds like 幽霊 (ゆうれい), which means "ghost," evoking images of wandering spirits. Another example is 霊園 (れいえん), referring to a "cemetery" or "garden of spirits," where people rest. You can also find 慰霊 (いれい), which translates to "consoling the spirits of the dead," highlighting the respect for those who have passed away. This kanji often appears in contexts related to the supernatural, and it’s interesting to note that the concept of spirits is significant in Japanese culture, influencing festivals and memorial services.
Example sentences
霊的な存在を信じている。
I believe in spiritual beings.
Meanings across languages
- English
- spirits, soul
- Tiếng Việt
- tinh thần, linh hồn
- 日本語
- 霊, 魂
- 한국어
- 정령, 영혼
- 中文
- 灵魂, 魂
- id
- roh
- th
- วิญญาณ
- es
- espíritu
- fr
- esprit
- de
- Geist
- pt
- espírito
Common compounds
- 幽霊ゆうれいghost, specter, spectre
- 霊園れいえん(garden) cemetery, park-style cemetery, memorial park
- 慰霊いれいconsoling the spirits of the dead
- 慰霊祭いれいさいmemorial service
- 亡霊ぼうれいdeparted spirit, soul of the dead, ghost
- 霊長れいちょうcrown (of creation), apex, the best
- 英霊えいれいspirit of the dead (esp. of those killed in war), soul of a fallen soldier, person of outstanding talent
- 霊感れいかんinspiration, afflatus, ability to sense the supernatural (esp. ghosts, etc.)
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.