冒涜
bōtoku[bo̞ːto̞kɯ̟]
The Japanese word for blasphemy is 冒涜 (bōtoku).
冒涜 refers to irreverence toward something sacred. While it can refer to religious blasphemy, it is also frequently used metaphorically to describe the desecration or insult of something highly respected, such as art, science or a person's dignity.
Meaning: irreverence toward something sacred (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 冒 (to violate/to trespass) and 涜 (to insult/to desecrate).
How do you pronounce it?
bōtoku
Did you know?
- The character 冒 in 冒涜 is also the first character in the word for 'adventure' 冒険, sharing the core idea of risking danger or trespassing into the unknown.
- Because Japan is a largely secular society, using 冒涜 in a conversation about food or pop culture can sound much more dramatic and intense than it would in English.
- While 冒涜 is the standard term, Japanese has a specific word, 不敬, which describes a specific type of blasphemy or irreverence directed toward the Emperor.
Examples in context
- 神への冒涜Blasphemy against GodThis sentence shows how to express blasphemy against God using 冒涜.
- 「小説？ あたし小説は嫌ひですの」 おゝ、ミュウズよ、彼女の冒涜を赦せ。"Novels? I hate novels." Oh muse, forgive her blasphemy.This sentence uses 冒涜 to describe a person's blasphemy.Tatoeba #1244799 by Scott, translation #1244851 by Scott
- 彼は教会の信仰に対して不敬な言葉を吐いた。He uttered disrespectful words towards the faith of the church.
- その映画は神の名を冒す描写が含まれている。That movie includes scenes that blaspheme the name of God.
- それは芸術に対する冒涜だ。Sore wa geijutsu ni taisuru bōtoku da.That is an insult to art.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a poorly made movie adaptation of a classic book.
- 美咲 Misakiこの映画は原作の冒涜だよ。Kono eiga wa gensaku no bōtoku da yo.This movie is an insult to the original work.
- 健太 Kenta確かに、設定が変わりすぎているね。Tashika ni, settei ga kawari sugite iru ne.True, the settings have changed too much.
- 美咲 Misaki健太君もそう思う？Kenta-kun mo sō omou?Do you think so too, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaうん、ファンとしては許せないよ。Un, fan to shite wa yurusenai yo.Yeah, as a fan, I can't forgive it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blasphemy” translations and entries 冒涜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
