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Kotomora

祭

ritual, offer prayers, celebrate, deify, enshrine, worship

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • サイ

Kun'yomi

  • まつ.る
  • まつ.り
  • まつり

Meaning

祭 centers on formal acts of reverence: performing rituals, offering prayers, celebrating sacred occasions, and honoring or enshrining deities.

Most common words using 祭

20 of 194
  • 祭りまつり
    N4

    festival; feast; matsuri

  • 司祭しさい

    priest; minister; pastor

  • 祭典さいてん

    festival

  • 祭るまつる
    N2

    to deify; to enshrine

  • 大祭たいさい

    grand festival

  • 祭壇さいだん

    altar

  • 前夜祭ぜんやさい

    event held the night before another event; eve (of a festival) (e.g. Christmas Eve)

  • 祭祀さいし

    ritual; religious service; festival

  • ひな祭りひなまつり
    N3

    Hinamatsuri (March 3); Hina Matsuri; Girls' Festival; Dolls' Festival

  • 祭司さいし

    priest

  • 祝祭日しゅくさいじつ

    national holiday

  • 祭神さいじん

    enshrined deity

  • 冠婚葬祭かんこんそうさい
    N1

    important ceremonial occasions in family relationships

  • 祝祭しゅくさい

    festivals; feasts

  • 祭日さいじつ
    N3

    national holiday; festival day

  • 秋祭りあきまつり

    autumn festival; fall festival; autumn matsuri

  • お祭り騒ぎおまつりさわぎ

    festival merrymaking; revelry

  • 血祭りちまつり

    killing an enemy soldier before the start of a battle to raise spirits; blood offering

  • 祇園祭ぎおんまつり

    Gion Festival (in Kyoto during the month of July, with high point on the 17th)

  • 葬祭そうさい

    funerals and ceremonial occasions

Explore all words using 祭 →

Study

Etymology

祭 combines 示 (altar, spirit) with an upper component that originally depicted a hand holding meat, suggesting an offering at an altar. The modern form retains the altar at the bottom while the upper part is stylized.

Meaning mnemonic

The bottom 示 is an altar. The top looks like a hand placing meat on it. Picture a ritual offering at a shrine: 祭 is a ceremony of worship and celebration.

Reading mnemonic

For サイ, imagine a solemn ritual where everyone sighs in reverence: sigh -> サイ, as the offering is placed on the altar.