Translation guide
The quality of putting others before oneself, often valued in Japanese culture. This guide covers natural ways to express selfless actions, attitudes, and the ideal of selflessness.
Describing an act or mindset that prioritizes others over oneself, without seeking personal gain.
Literally 'no self', this is a formal term for selflessness, often used in philosophical or ethical contexts.
彼の無私の行動に感動した。
I was moved by his selfless actions.
A compound meaning 'self-sacrificing devotion to public duty'. It implies complete dedication to a cause or organization, often used in historical or corporate contexts.
滅私奉公の精神で働く。
Work with a spirit of selfless devotion.
Means 'sacrificing oneself'. A common way to describe selfless acts, emphasizing personal sacrifice.
彼は自分を犠牲にして人を助けた。
He helped people by sacrificing himself.
Adjectival form meaning 'altruistic'. Used to describe behavior or personality.
利他的な行動は評価される。
Altruistic behavior is appreciated.
Referring to the concept of selflessness as a spiritual or philosophical ideal, especially in Buddhism.
Buddhist term for 'no-self' or 'selflessness', a core concept of non-attachment to the ego.
無我の境地に達する。
Reach a state of selflessness.
Means 'self-oblivion' or 'ecstasy', a state of losing oneself, often in a positive sense of absorption.
Expressing dedication to serving others without personal desire, often in a professional or caregiving context.
Adjectival meaning 'devoted' or 'self-sacrificing'. Commonly used for nurses, caregivers, or anyone dedicated to helping others.
彼女は献身的な看護師だ。
She is a devoted nurse.
Means 'spirit of service'. Refers to a selfless attitude of serving the community or others.
奉仕の精神を持ってボランティアをする。
Volunteer with a spirit of service.
Casual ways to say someone is selfless or puts others before themselves.
Literally 'prioritize others over oneself'. A straightforward, natural phrase.
彼はいつも自分より他人を優先する。
He always puts others before himself.
Means 'think about others more than oneself'. A colloquial way to describe a selfless person.
彼女は自分のことより人のことを考える人だ。
She's the type who thinks about others more than herself.
While 無私 (mushi) is a direct translation, it is formal and less common in everyday speech. For casual contexts, use phrases like 自分より他人を優先する (jibun yori tanin o yūsen suru) or 献身的な (kenshinteki na) to sound more natural.
無私 (mushi) refers to selflessness in ethical or social contexts, while 無我 (muga) is a Buddhist term for the absence of a permanent self. Do not confuse them in non-religious settings.
Dance in a state of self-oblivion.