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形見 (かたみ, katami) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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大たい
切せつ
に
し
て
いる
。
I treasure the ring that was my grandmother's keepsake.
He continued to use the fountain pen as a memento of his late father.
Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 を 形かた 見み にもらう to receive something as a keepsake (of a deceased person)
I received my grandmother's ring as a keepsake.
〈 人ひと 〉 に 〈 物もの 〉 を 形かた 見み として 渡わた す to give someone something as a memento
The father gave his son a watch as a keepsake.
形かた 見み を 残のこ す to leave behind a keepsake (after one's death)
She left a letter behind as a keepsake for her children.
形かた 見み の 〈 物もの 〉 a treasured item that serves as a keepsake
This ring is a keepsake from my mother.
Related words 遺品 refers broadly to any belongings left by someone who died, while 形見 specifically means an item kept for its sentimental, memory-evoking value.
記念品 is a general commemorative gift or souvenir with no connection to death, whereas 形見 carries the strong sense of being left behind by a deceased person.
形見 is specifically a keepsake left behind by someone who has died or departed, while 記念 is a broader term for any memento of an event or occasion.
形見 is a keepsake kept to remember a specific deceased loved one and carries strong emotional weight, whereas 遺物 is a neutral term for any object left behind.
Etymology An ancient native Japanese word, attested as かたみ, for an object preserving the memory of someone absent or dead. Its internal formation is uncertain, and the spelling 形見 reflects its meaning.
