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冠婚葬祭 (かんこんそうさい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Meanings 1
noun
ceremonial occasions ; family rites of passage
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
A yojijukugo referring collectively to the four major ceremonial occasions in a person's life: coming-of-age (冠), marriage (婚), funerals (葬), and ancestral rites (祭). Often used in contexts like formal attire or event services.
See also: 元服 · 婚礼 · 祭祀 · 葬儀
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Learn the etiquette for ceremonial occasions.
Kanji 祭 ritual, offer prayers, celebrate Similar words 元げん 服ぶく 元服 is the historical coming-of-age ceremony for boys, one component of 冠婚葬祭.
婚こん 礼れい 婚礼 specifically means wedding ceremony, while 冠婚葬祭 covers the broader category of ceremonial occasions.
葬そう 儀ぎ 葬儀 is a funeral service; 冠婚葬祭 includes funerals as one of its four elements.
祭さい 祀し 祭祀 refers to rituals or religious services, especially ancestral rites, which form the 祭 part of 冠婚葬祭.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of four kanji: 冠 (kanmuri, coming-of-age ceremony), 婚 (kon, marriage), 葬 (sō, funeral), and 祭 (sai, festival/ancestral rites). The term collectively denotes the major ceremonial occasions in a person's life.
