noun
The physical sky or the heavens as a visible expanse. Common in everyday descriptions of weather and scenery.
天を見上げると、星がきれいだった。
When I looked up at the sky, the stars were beautiful.
In Christian and general religious contexts, refers to heaven or God. Often used in set phrases like 天の国 (kingdom of heaven) or 天の恵み (divine blessing).
彼は天に召された。
He was called to heaven.
天の恵みに感謝する。
I give thanks for heaven's blessings.
noun
svarga; deva realm; deva
Buddhist technical terms: svarga (a heavenly realm in the cycle of rebirth) and deva (a divine being). Encountered mainly in Buddhist texts or discussions.
仏教では、天は六道の一つとされる。
In Buddhism, the deva realm is considered one of the six realms of existence.
noun
Refers to the top edge or upper part of a book. Used in contexts like bookbinding or describing a book's condition.
この本は天が少し汚れている。
The top edge of this book is a little soiled.
noun
Specifically the sole of traditional Japanese sandals (zōri, geta). Not used for Western-style shoes.
下駄の天がすり減ってきた。
The soles of the geta have worn down.
noun
Used in a few set expressions like 天の初め (the very beginning). Rare as a standalone word for 'beginning'.
天の初めから終わりまで、すべては決まっているという考え方もある。
There is a view that everything is predetermined from the very beginning to the end.
noun
tempura (abbreviation)
Abbreviation of 天ぷら. Used in casual contexts, especially in compound menu items like 天丼 (tempura rice bowl).
See also: 天ぷら
今日の昼は天そばにしよう。
Let's have tempura soba for lunch today.
noun
Obsolete abbreviation of 天竺 (India). Found only in historical texts.
See also: 天竺
昔の文献では、天はインドを指すことがあった。
In old documents, 天 sometimes referred to India.
空 is the most common word for 'sky' in everyday speech. 天 is more formal or literary, and also carries religious and abstract meanings that 空 lacks.
天国 specifically means 'paradise' or 'heaven' as a blissful afterlife, while 天 can refer to heaven in a broader sense, including the physical sky or divine realm.
天 is a casual abbreviation of 天ぷら, used mainly in compounds like 天丼 or 天そば.
The kanji 天 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a large head, representing the sky or heavens above. The reading てん is the on'yomi (Sino-Japanese reading).