神かん主ぬし

か

ん

ぬ

し

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

Shinto priest; chief priest

Refers to a Shinto priest, often the chief priest of a shrine. Sense 2 emphasizes the head priest role, but in many contexts 神主 simply means a Shinto priest.

神じん社じゃで神かん主ぬしにお祓はらいをし

て

もらっ

た

。

I had a Shinto priest perform a purification ritual at the shrine.

あの神じん社じゃの神かん主ぬしはとても親しん切せつだ。

The chief priest of that shrine is very kind.

2

noun

Welsh onion (jargon)

Buddhist monk jargon; a pun on 禰宜 (ねぎ, a Shinto priest rank) and 葱 (ねぎ, Welsh onion). Not used in standard Japanese.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が神かん主ぬしになるfor someone to become a Shinto priest
彼かれは神じん社じゃを継ついで神かん主ぬしになった。
He took over the shrine and became a Shinto priest.
神主かんぬしが祝詞のりとを上あげるfor a Shinto priest to recite a ritual prayer
神かん主ぬしが祝詞のりとを上あげて式しきが始はじまった。
The priest recited a prayer and the ceremony began.

Kanji

神gods, mind, soul
主lord, chief, master

Related words

宮ぐう司じ sense 1
宮司 is the formal title for the head priest of a specific shrine, while 神主 is the more general everyday word for a Shinto priest.
神しん官かん
神主 is the everyday, casual word for a Shinto priest, while 神官 is a more formal term often used in official or historical contexts.
祝はふり
神主 is the common, general word for a Shinto priest, while 祝 is a rare, specific term for a junior priest of low rank.

Don't confuse with

禰ね宜ぎ sense 1
禰宜 names a specific priest rank below the chief priest, whereas 神主 is used broadly for a Shinto priest or the head priest, so learners often confuse the two titles.
ねぎN1
葱 is the ordinary word for Welsh onion; 神主 is only used as a Buddhist monks' pun on ねぎ (via 禰宜) and is not standard vocabulary for the vegetable.
住じゅう職しょく
神主 is the chief priest of a Shinto shrine, while 住職 is the chief priest of a Buddhist temple, so the two are easily mixed up in translation.

Counted with

人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).

Etymology

The reading かんぬし is a combination of 神 (かん, an old reading for 'god') and 主 (ぬし, 'master'). The kanji literally mean 'god master'.

巫女みこ

神主 is a male Shinto priest who conducts rites, while 巫女 is a young woman who assists with shrine rituals and dances.