Translation guide
The English word "sacred" covers a range of meanings from religious holiness to deeply cherished personal values. In Japanese, different words are used depending on whether something is ritually pure, divinely blessed, historically revered, or personally inviolable.
Describing places, objects, or rituals set apart for a deity or spiritual purpose.
The most general and common word for 'sacred' in a religious sense. Used for places, objects, and abstract concepts.
This temple is a sacred place.
A sacred ritual was performed.
Literary or poetic term for 'sacred' or 'holy'. Often used in fixed phrases or religious contexts.
A sacred light shone in.
Spiritual or sacred in a more abstract, non-institutional sense. Often used for personal spirituality.
He had a sacred experience.
Describing something free from impurity, often in Shinto or traditional Japanese contexts.
Describing principles, rights, or relationships that must not be violated.
Describing things revered due to long-standing tradition or cultural significance.
神聖 (shinsei) is the standard word for 'sacred' in both religious and metaphorical senses. 聖なる (seinaru) is more poetic and often appears in set phrases like 聖なる夜 (holy night). Use 神聖 for everyday speech and writing.
When saying something like 'This memory is sacred to me,' using 神聖な directly can sound unnatural. Instead, use 大切な (important/precious) or かけがえのない (irreplaceable).
This memory is sacred to me.
This is a sacred place.
Human life is sacred.
They performed a sacred ritual.
Please wash your hands before entering the sacred precincts.
This mountain has been considered a sacred place since ancient times.