神かみ様さま

か

み

さ

ま

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

God; god; deity; divine spirit

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Honorific term for a god or divine being, used in both monotheistic and polytheistic contexts. The suffix 様 adds respect.

神かみ様さまにお祈いのりを捧ささげる。
I offer a prayer to God.
日本にほんの神かみ様さまは八百万やおよろずいると言いわれる。
It is said there are eight million gods in Japan.

2

ace; king; superior person; god among men

Figurative use for someone exceptionally skilled or outstanding in a field. Often used in casual praise.

彼かれは数すう学がくの神かみ様さまだ。
He is a god at math.
あのピッチャーは野や球きゅうの神かみ様さまと呼よばれている。
That pitcher is called the god of baseball.

See all 92 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が神かみ様さまに祈いのるfor someone to pray to God
彼かの女じょは神かみ様さまに家か族ぞくの健けん康こうを祈いのった。
She prayed to God for her family's health.
〈事こと〉の神かみ様さまthe god/ace of a particular field
彼かれはサッカーの神かみ様さまと呼よばれている。
He is called the god of soccer.
神かみ様さまを信しんじるto believe in God
彼かれは神かみ様さまを信しんじている。
He believes in God.
神かみ様さまに感かん謝しゃするto give thanks to God
収しゅう穫かくの後あと、村むら人びとたちは神かみ様さまに感かん謝しゃした。
After the harvest, the villagers gave thanks to God.

Expressions

お客きゃく様さまは神かみ様さまthe customer is always right; the customer is king
どれにしようかな天てんの神かみ様さまの言いう通とおりeeny, meeny, miny, moe

Kanji

神gods, mind, soul
様Esq., way, manner

Related words

神かみN3
神様 is a warmer, more personal way to refer to a god or God, often used in prayer or casual speech, while 神 is the neutral, more formal term.
天てん神じん
天神 specifically denotes a heavenly deity, while 神様 is the general, everyday word for any god or deity.
大おお神かみ
神様 is the common, polite modern word for 'god', while 大神 is an archaic, formal term used for specific great deities in Shinto or classical texts.

Opposites

悪あく魔まN3sense 1
神様 refers to a benevolent divine being, while 悪魔 refers to an evil, demonic being that opposes it.

Politeness

神かみplainN3sense 1
神 is the plain, neutral noun for a god, while 神様 adds the respectful suffix 様 and is the polite form used in everyday speech and prayer.

Counted with

柱はしらN1
Traditionally used for gods and Buddhist deities; in modern everyday speech, counting with 人 or 体 is not natural here.

Word family

生いき神がみ様さま
living god; saintly person

Written forms

神かみ様さま
Standard kanji spelling with honorific suffix 様.
神かみさま
Kana suffix spelling, often used in children's materials or to soften the appearance.

Etymology

Compound of 神 (kami, 'god') and honorific suffix 様 (sama). The reading かみさま is a straightforward combination.