殿
Mr., hall, mansion, palace, temple, lord
Readings
On'yomi
- デン
- テン
Kun'yomi
- との
- -どの
Nanori
- て
- どん
Meaning
殿 centers on a grand, elevated building or the person associated with it: a palace, mansion, or temple, and by extension a respectful title for a lord or Mr.
Most common words using 殿
20 of 131- 殿どの
Mr.; Mrs.; Miss; Ms.
- 宮殿きゅうでんN1
palace
- 神殿しんでんN1
temple; shrine; sanctuary
- 殿下でんか
Your Highness; His Highness; Her Highness
- 殿堂でんどう
palace; hall
- 御殿ごてん
palace; court
- 殿様とのさまN1
nobleman; dignitary; lord
- 貴殿きでん
you
- 本殿ほんでん
main hall (of a Shinto shrine); main shrine; inner sanctuary
- 殿方とのがた
gentlemen; men
- 沈殿ちんでんN1
precipitation; deposition; settlement (e.g. of sediment)
- 社殿しゃでん
(main building of a) Shinto shrine
- 拝殿はいでん
front shrine; hall of worship
- 霊殿れいでん
shrine; mausoleum
- 大殿おおとの
current master; father of one's current master
- 大殿おとど
minister (of government); noble
- 正殿せいでん
main temple; main building of a shrine
- 伏魔殿ふくまでん
abode of demons; hotbed (of graft); pandemonium
- 客殿きゃくでん
reception hall (in a temple or palace)
- 高殿たかどの
stately mansion
Study
Etymology
殿 originally combined 尸 (a building or roof) with 殳 (a hand holding a weapon or tool), suggesting a grand hall or mansion where weapons were displayed or guards were stationed. The modern form retains these components, though the exact historical development is somewhat uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side looks like a roofed building (尸) over a gathering (共-like shape), and the right side 殳 suggests a hand with a tool. Imagine a grand hall where a lord stands under the roof, overseeing his mansion.
Reading mnemonic
For デン, picture a grand den (a cozy room in a mansion) where the lord relaxes: den -> デン, and the den is inside the palace.