vow, swear, pledge

About this kanji

The kanji 誓 (ちか.う, セイ) primarily means to vow or to swear. It is often used as a verb, as in 誓う (ちかう), meaning "to swear," where someone makes a serious promise. You might also see it in the noun 誓い (ちかい), which means "oath," referring to the solemn pledge made in various situations, such as weddings. Another common compound is 誓約 (せいやく), meaning "oath" or "contract." Note that using this kanji implies a level of seriousness and commitment, so it’s not used for casual promises.

Example sentences

• 彼は真実を語ると誓った。

  He swore to tell the truth.

Meanings across languages

English

vow, swear, pledge

Tiếng Việt

thề

日本語

誓い

한국어

맹세

中文

誓言

id

janji

th

คำปฏิญาณ

es

voto

fr

serment

de

Gelübde

pt

juramento

Common compounds

• 誓いちかいoath, vow
• 誓うちかうto swear, to vow, to take an oath
• 誓約せいやくoath, vow, pledge
• 宣誓せんせいoath, abjuration, pledge
• 誓ってちかってsurely, upon my word, by Jove
• 誓約書せいやくしょwritten oath, covenant, pledge
• 祈誓きせいvow, oath, pledge
• 偽誓ぎせいperjury, false oath