神

JLPT N3

God, spirit

Readings

On’yomi: シン, ジン (shin, jin)

Kun’yomi: かみ,
こう,
かん (kami, kō , kan)

god

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

神

かみ

god

神社

じんじゃ

shrine

精神

せいしん

spirit

神様

かみさま

god (honorific)

神話

しんわ

myth

Example Sentences

神を信じます。

かみをしんじます。

I believe in God.

神社に行きます。

じんじゃにいきます。

I go to a shrine.

精神を鍛えます。

せいしんをきたえます。

I train my spirit.

神様です。

かみさまです。

It is a god.

神話を読みます。

しんわをよみます。

I read myths.

Cultural Note

⛩️ 神 (かみ) holds a central place in Japanese culture.
• In Shinto, everything in nature — mountains, trees, rivers — can contain a 神 (kami) spirit.
• Shrines (神社) are built to honor these deities.
• The word 神対応 (かみたいおう) in modern slang means “godlike response,” used for someone who handles something perfectly or kindly.
• Expressions like 神回 (かみかい) — “legendary episode” — show how 神 also means amazing or divine in modern usage.