写真 (しゃしん, shashin) Japanese meaning: photograph

写真 (しゃしん, shashin) Japanese meaning: photograph | Kotomora

Kanji

写copy, be photographed, describe
真true, reality, Buddhist sect
寫be photographed, copy, describe
眞truth, reality, Buddhist sect

Related words· 9

画が像ぞうN3sense 1
写真 refers specifically to a photograph taken with a camera, while 画像 is a broader term covering any kind of image, including digital graphics and illustrations.
フォト sense 1
写真 is the standard, neutral word for a photo, while フォト is a casual loanword mostly seen in compounds like フォトアルバム or advertising.
撮さつ影えいN2
撮影 is the act of taking a photo or filming, while 写真 is the resulting photograph itself.
ピクチャー
写真 is the everyday word for a photograph, while ピクチャー is a katakana loanword rarely used for that specific meaning in daily speech.

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グラビア
写真 is the general word for any photograph, while グラビア refers specifically to glossy, high-quality photo prints (often magazine spreads) produced by the gravure process.
実じっ写しゃ
写真 is the general word for a photograph, whereas 実写 specifically stresses that the image or footage is an unaltered capture of a real scene, often in contrast to CGI or illustration.
肖しょう像ぞう
写真 is a general term for any photograph, while 肖像 specifically denotes a portrait or likeness of a person, often artistic.
遺い影えい
写真 is the general word for a photograph, while 遺影 specifically means a photograph of a deceased person used for memorial purposes.

Don't confuse with· 5

写しゃ生せいN2sense 1
写真 means a photograph taken with a camera, while 写生 means sketching or drawing a scene from life, despite sharing the kanji 写.
絵えN5
写真 means a photograph taken with a camera, whereas 絵 is a drawn or painted picture, so the two are easily mixed up when talking about 'a picture'.
写しゃ真しん家か
写真 means 'photograph' itself, while 写真家 means the person who takes photographs; the shared kanji often confuses learners.

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Counted with

枚まいN3
counter for thin, flat objects; sheet; plate; coin · serving of soba; portion of gyōza · sumo rank position; wrestler at a given rank · field; rice paddy plot · palanquin bearer

Word family· 107

青あお写じゃ真しん
blueprint; cyanotype · blueprint; plan; master plan
写しゃ真しん家か
photographer
写しゃ真しん屋や
photo studio; photographer · camera shop; photography supplies shop · photo processing shop; photo finishing shop
写しゃ真しん展てん

Written forms

写しゃ真しんUsage100%
Standard modern spelling.
寫しゃ眞しんUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Historical kyūjitai spelling; not used in modern writing.
シャシンUsage<1%

Etymology

写真 is an older Sino-Japanese term meaning a lifelike representation or portrayal. In the nineteenth century it was applied to photography and became the standard word for a photograph.

写しゃ真しん

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions