慈善
jizen[d͡ʑizẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for charity is 慈善 (jizen).
慈善 refers to benevolence toward those less fortunate. In practice, this term is most commonly used within the compound noun 慈善活動 to refer specifically to actual charitable activities or charity work.
Meaning: benevolence to less fortunate (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
jizen
Did you know?
- Japanese culture often emphasizes お互い様 (otagaisama), a phrase suggesting that everyone takes turns being the helper and the helped, which softens the hierarchy of charity.
- In Japanese religious contexts, the concept of charity is often linked to 布施 (fuse), a Buddhist term for acts of giving that earn spiritual merit.
- Historically, the concept of charity in Japan was often tied to 施し (hodokoshi), which referred to almsgiving by monks or nobles to the poor.
Examples in context
- 彼は慈善活動にいそしんでいる。He's active doing charity work.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 慈善 in the context of charity work.Tatoeba #10802279 by bunbuku, translation #1315803 by CK
- 隣人のために慈善活動を行っています。We are engaging in charitable activities for our neighbors.
- チャリティーイベントに寄付しました。I made a donation to the charity event.
- その団体はチャリティと人道支援のために活動しています。That organization is working for charity and humanitarian assistance.
- 彼女は慈善団体を支援しています。kanojo wa jizen dantai o shien shite imasu.She supports a charity organization.
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are discussing a local event.
- 陽太 Yotaこのイベントは慈善コンサートなんだって。kono ibento wa jizen konsāto nanda tte.I heard this event is a charity concert.
- 陽葵 Himariそうなんだ。誰を支援するためのものなの？sō nanda. dare o shien suru tame no mono nano?I see. Who is it meant to support?
- 陽太 Yota地域の子供たちのための慈善活動の一環だよ。chiiki no kodomotachi no tame no jizen katsudō no ikkan dayo.It is part of a charitable activity for local children.
- 陽葵 Himariそれは素敵ね。私も参加したいわ。sore wa suteki ne. watashi mo sanka shitai wa.That's lovely. I want to participate too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “charity” translations and entries 慈善, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
