枢機卿
sūki-kyō[sɨːkʲikʲo̞ː]
The English word 'cardinal' (referring to an official of the Catholic Church) is 枢機卿 (sūki-kyō) in Japanese.
枢機卿 is a noun used specifically to refer to a cardinal within the Catholic Church.
Meaning: official of the Catholic Church (noun)
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
sūki-kyō
Did you know?
- The term 枢機 in 枢機卿 literally means 'the pivot of a door' or 'the essential mechanism' of a system. This reflects the cardinal's role as a central hinge upon which the administration of the church turns.
- The character 卿 in 枢機卿 was once a high-ranking title for nobles and ministers in the ancient Japanese imperial court. This allows the religious title to carry a sense of aristocratic prestige in Japanese.
- While 'cardinal' in English also refers to a bright red bird, the Japanese word 枢機卿 is never used for animals. For the bird, Japanese uses ショウジョウコウカンチョウ or simply refers to it as a 'cardinal bird'.
Examples in context
- 彼は枢機卿になりました。Kare wa suukikyou ni narimashita.He became a cardinal.
- 枢機卿のメッセージを読みます。Suukikyou no messeeji o yomimasu.I will read the cardinal's message.
- その枢機卿はとても優しいです。Sono suukikyou wa totemo yasashii desu.That cardinal is very kind.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history documentary in a library.
- 大翔 Hirotoその枢機卿は誰ですか？Sono suukikyou wa dare desu ka?Who is that cardinal?
- 美咲 Misaki歴史的にとても重要な人物です。Rekishiteki ni totemo juuyou na jinbutsu desu.He is a very important historical figure.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんはそのことを知っていたの？Misaki-san wa sono koto o shitte ita no?Did you know that, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、本で読みました。Hai, hon de yomimashita.Yes, I read about it in a book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cardinal” translations and entries 枢機卿, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
