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Kotomora

魂

soul, spirit

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • コン

Kun'yomi

  • たましい
  • たま

Meaning

魂 centers on the immaterial essence of a person: the soul or spirit that animates life and persists beyond the physical body.

Most common words using 魂

20 of 74
  • 魂たましい
    N1

    soul; spirit; mind

  • 魂消るたまげる

    to be astonished; to be flabbergasted; to be startled; to be amazed

  • 霊魂れいこん

    soul; spirit

  • 魂胆こんたん

    ulterior motive; plot; scheme

  • 鎮魂歌ちんこんか

    requiem

  • 鎮魂ちんこん

    repose of a soul

  • 大和魂やまとだましい

    the Japanese spirit

  • 入魂にゅうこん

    putting one's heart and soul (into); giving one's all

  • 魂魄こんぱく

    soul; spirit; ghost

  • 闘魂とうこん

    fighting spirit

  • 精魂せいこん

    soul; spirit

  • 商魂しょうこん

    commercial spirit

  • 人魂ひとだま

    floating ball of fire (said to be the soul of a dead person)

  • 招魂しょうこん

    invocation of the spirits of the dead

  • 忠魂ちゅうこん

    loyalty; the loyal dead

  • 魂こん
    N1

    Yang energy; spirit

  • 一寸の虫にも五分の魂いっすんのむしにもごぶのたましい

    tread on a worm and it will turn; even a tiny bug will defend itself; even the weakest and smallest beings have their own wills, so do not make light of them

  • 一球入魂いっきゅうにゅうこん

    putting one's heart and soul into each pitch

  • 三つ子の魂百までみつごのたましいひゃくまで

    a leopard cannot change its spots; the child is father to the man; the soul of a child of three (is the same) at 100

  • 亡き魂なきたま

    departed soul; spirit

Explore all words using 魂 →

Study

Etymology

魂 combines 云 (a phonetic component suggesting 'cloud' or 'to say') with 鬼 (spirit, ghost) to express the idea of a soul or spirit. The 云 component likely contributes the sound while 鬼 provides the meaning.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 云 looks like a cloud, and the right side 鬼 is a ghost or spirit. Imagine a soul rising like a cloud from the body, a visible spirit drifting upward.

Reading mnemonic

For コン, picture a soul trapped in a conch shell: conch -> コン, and the spirit echoes inside.