Related words 霊魂 is the common, general word for 'soul' or 'spirit' used in everyday and religious contexts, whereas 魂 (こん ) is a technical term from Chinese cosmology naming specifically the Yang half of the soul.
魂魄 is the compound term covering both souls together, while 魂 (こん ) alone denotes only the Yang, ascending component of that pair.
Opposites 魂 (こん ) is the Yang, ethereal soul that ascends to heaven, while 魄 (はく ) is the Yin, earthly soul that stays with the body.
Word family· 31 Show 14 more Show fewer fighting spirit
soul; spirit; energy
commercial spirit; mercantile drive
invocation of the spirits of the dead
putting one's heart and soul into; giving one's all · breathing a soul into; consecrating a Buddhist statue · intimacy; familiarity
departed soul; spirit of the dead
reviving the dead; calling back spirits of the dead
Japanese spirit
samurai spirit; manly spirit
spirits of the dead; ghosts
heart and soul; one's innermost being
loyal spirit; the loyal dead
losing energy; being exhausted · being absorbed; being immersed
ecstatic trance; soul leaving the body
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Written forms 魂こん
Standard kanji spelling for this philosophical/religious term.
こん Usage 100%
Etymology Borrowed from Chinese 魂 (hún), referring to the ethereal, Yang soul in traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine.
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