錬金術
renkinjutsu[ɾẽ̞ŋʲkʲĩɲ̟d͡ʑɨt͡sɨ]
Alchemy in Japanese is 錬金術 (renkinjutsu). Wiktionary also lists 黄金術 (ōgonjutsu) and 煉丹術 (rentanjutsu).
Meaning: ancient chemistry (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 錬金術 | renkinjutsu | [ɾẽ̞ŋʲkʲĩɲ̟d͡ʑɨt͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 黄金術 | ōgonjutsu | |
| 煉丹術 | rentanjutsu |
The term refers to ancient chemistry (noun).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 錬金術 is a combination of three kanji: 錬 (to refine or smelt), 金 (metal or gold) and 術 (art, technique or skill).
Which one should you use?
While 錬金術 is the standard term for the general concept of alchemy, 黄金術 specifically refers to the art of making gold. In contrast, 煉丹術 is used specifically to refer to Taoist alchemy, which is the art of creating an elixir or an elixir of immortality, rather than the Western tradition.
How do you pronounce it?
renkinjutsu
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese pop culture, 錬金術 is most frequently associated with the manga and anime series 'Fullmetal Alchemist', which popularized the term beyond historical contexts.
- The suffix 術 in 錬金術 is the same word used for 'ninjutsu' and 'jujutsu', linking the concept of alchemy to traditional Japanese martial arts and secret techniques.
- The kanji 金 in 錬金術 refers to both 'gold' and 'metal' in general, mirroring the ancient belief that all metals were essentially different forms of gold.
Examples in context
- ファウスト博士は、錬金術に精通していた。Dr. Faust was well versed in alchemy.This sentence shows how to describe someone being well versed in the subject of 錬金術.Tatoeba #197235 by arnab, translation #34417 by Scott
- 「西遊記」の中には錬金術の話が数多く登場します。Many tales of alchemy show up in "Journey to the West".This sentence is useful for noting the appearance of stories involving 錬金術 in literature.Tatoeba #74288 by fcbond, translation #329432 by fcbond
- アイザック・ニュートンは近代科学の祖とたびたび言われるが、彼の晩年はもっぱら錬金術を研究していた。Isaac Newton is often referred to as the founder of modern science, but his final years were solely devoted to the study of alchemy.This sentence illustrates how a historical figure's later years were spent studying 錬金術.Tatoeba #182424 by sugisaki, translation #10035560 by tsp_2
- 「錬金術」は中世ヨーロッパで発展した神秘的な技術です。Alchemy is a mysterious technique that developed in medieval Europe.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are browsing books in a museum gift shop.
- 陽葵 Himariこの本には錬金術について書いてあるよ。Kono hon ni wa renkinjutsu ni tsuite kaite aru yo.This book is about alchemy.
- 陽太 Yotaへえ、錬金術って面白そうだね。Hee, renkinjutsu tte omoshirosou da ne.Wow, alchemy sounds interesting.
- 陽葵 Himari昔の人は、鉛を金に変えようとしたんだって。Mukashi no hito wa, namari o kin ni kaeyou to shita n datte.I heard people in the past tried to turn lead into gold.
- 陽太 Yotaすごいね、まるで魔法みたいだ。Sugoi ne, maru de mahou mitai da.That's amazing, it's just like magic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alchemy” translations and entries 錬金術, 煉丹術, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
