死神
shinigami
The English phrase 'angel of death' is translated into Japanese as 死神 (shinigami).
死神 refers to the personification of death in fiction and art. While often translated as 'angel of death', its literal meaning is 'god of death' or 'death god'. It is more closely associated with the concept of a 'reaper' or a supernatural entity that collects souls than the religious or celestial connotations often found in the English term.
Meaning: personification of death in fiction and in art (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
shinigami
Did you know?
- In Japanese art, the 死神 does not always carry a scythe, as the scythe is a Western symbol of the reaper that was adopted later.
- While 死神 represents the personification of death, the actual Buddhist deity of death is usually referred to as 閻魔 or 'Yama'.
- In Japanese urban legends, a 死神 is not always a harvester of souls but can be a trickster that offers a deal to a human in exchange for their life.
Examples in context
- 小説やアニメで人気のあるキャラクターは、しばしば死神として描かれています。Novels and anime often depict popular characters as shinigami, or "Angels of Death".
- 昨日のエピソードで、主人公が死神に出会ったよ！In yesterday's episode, the main character encountered a shinigami, or "Angel of Death"!
- あの映画の死神はとても怖かった。Ano eiga no shinigami wa totemo kowakatta.The angel of death in that movie was very scary.
- 彼は死神のイメージで描かれている。Kare wa shinigami no imēji de egakarete iru.He is depicted as an angel of death.
- 死神の伝説を調べています。Shinigami no densetsu o shirabete imasu.I am researching the legend of the angel of death.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a manga book together.
- 蓮 Renこの漫画の死神はかっこいいな。Kono manga no shinigami wa kakkoii na.The angel of death in this manga is cool.
- 結衣 Yui確かに、デザインがすごく凝っているね。Tashikani, dezain ga sugoku kotte iru ne.True, the design is very elaborate.
- 蓮 Ren結衣は死神のキャラクターが好き？Yui wa shinigami no kyarakutā ga suki?Yui, do you like angel of death characters?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、ミステリアスな感じがして好きだよ。Un, misuteriasu na kanji ga shite suki dayo.Yes, I like them because they feel mysterious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 死神, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
