魂
soul, spirit
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
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.