教会
kyōkai[kʲo̞ːka̠i]
The English word "church" can be translated into Japanese as 教会 (kyōkai), 聖堂 or 教会堂.
Meaning: house of worship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 教会 | kyōkai | [kʲo̞ːka̠i] (narrow) |
| 聖堂 | seidō | [se̞ːdo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 教会堂 | kyōkaidō |
The term is used to refer to a house of worship, specifically within a Christian context.
Which one should you use?
教会 (kyōkai) is the most common term used to refer to the church as an institution or a general place of worship. In contrast, 聖堂 (seidō) focuses more on the physical structure or the sacredness of the building itself, often used for larger or more formal structures like cathedrals.
How do you pronounce it?
kyōkai
Did you know?
- Many Japanese people visit a 教会 for wedding ceremonies even if they are not Christians and do not attend regular services.
- If you are looking for a small, local chapel, you might encounter the loanword 'chapel' written in katakana as チャペル (chaperu), which feels much more modern and Western than the traditional 教会.
- While 教会 is for Christians, Japanese uses the term 寺 (tera) for Buddhist temples and 神社 (jinja) for Shinto shrines, meaning the word for 'church' is never used for these other common spiritual sites.
Examples in context
- 今夜教会に行くよ。Tonight we're going to church.This sentence shows how to use 教会 to express going to church tonight.Tatoeba #5117 by bunbuku, translation #1715 by Swift
- 教会に行きました。We went to church.This sentence demonstrates the use of 教会 to say one went to church.Tatoeba #10335487 by small_snow, translation #4499052 by CK
- 教会のそばを通ろう。Let's pass by the church.This sentence illustrates using 教会 to describe passing by the church.Tatoeba #180298 by bunbuku, translation #19094 by CK
- 私たちは 教会 で結婚式を挙げました。We had our wedding ceremony at the church.
- 彼女は 聖堂 の前で祈りました。She prayed in front of the cathedral.
- 明日は 教会 に行く予定です。I'm planning to go to the church tomorrow.
- 119 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are walking through a town in the afternoon.
- 結衣 Yuiあそこに教会が見えますか？Asoko ni kyoukai ga miemasu ka?Can you see the church over there?
- 蓮 Renはい、あそこですね。Hai, asoko desu ne.Yes, over there.
- 結衣 Yuiあの教会はとても古いようです。Ano kyoukai wa totemo furui you desu.That church looks very old.
- 蓮 Ren歴史がありそうで素敵ですね。Rekishi ga arisou de suteki desu ne.It looks lovely, as if it has a lot of history.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “church” translations and entries 教会, 聖堂, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
