献身
kenshin
The English word "dedication" is translated into Japanese as 献身 (kenshin).
献身 refers to dedication that carries a self-sacrificial connotation, implying that one is giving of themselves for a cause or person.
Meaning: the act of dedicating or the state of being dedicated (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 献 (ken), meaning "to offer" or "present" and 身 (shin), meaning "body" or "self".
Which one should you use?
While 献身 implies a selfless or sacrificial devotion, the word 専念 (sen'nen) is used for "dedication" in the sense of concentrating one's efforts or focusing solely on a task.
How do you pronounce it?
kenshin
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific concept called 滅私利他 (messhi rita), which describes the peak of 献身 as 'extinguishing the self for the benefit of others'.
- In a professional context, praising an employee's 献身 can sometimes be a double-edged sword, as it may subtly imply that the person is expected to work unpaid overtime.
- A person's 'dedication' to a single task is often expressed as 一心不乱 (isshin furan), which literally means 'one heart, no distraction'.
Examples in context
- 仕事場の管理者は、正確さ、効率性、献身を期待する。Office managers expect accuracy, efficiency, and dedication.This sentence is useful for seeing how to express the expectation of dedication in a professional setting using 献身.Tatoeba #169023 by mookeee, translation #245464 by CM
- 彼女は仕事に専念しています。She is dedicated to her work.
- 彼は学生たちに対して献身的な教育を提供しています。He provides dedicated education to the students.
- 彼は釣りに打ち込んでいる。He is dedicated to fishing.
- 彼は彼女に一途な愛情を注いでいる。He dedicates his unwavering affection to her.
- 彼の献身的なサポートに感謝しています。Kare no kenshinteki na sapōto ni kansha shite imasu.I am grateful for his dedicated support.
- 患者への献身は素晴らしいものです。Kanja e no kenshin wa subarashii mono desu.Dedication to patients is a wonderful thing.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking about a retired nurse.
- 結衣 Yui彼女は患者さんに本当に親切でしたね。Kanojo wa kanja-san ni hontō ni shinsetsu deshita ne.She was truly kind to the patients, wasn't she?
- 蓮 Renええ、彼女の献身的な姿に感動しました。Ee, kanojo no kenshinteki na sugata ni kandō shimashita.Yes, I was moved by her dedication.
- 結衣 Yui本当に素晴らしい看護師さんでした。Hontō ni subarashii kangoshi-san deshita.She really was a wonderful nurse.
- 蓮 Renその献身的な心は、みんなに届いていました。Sono kenshinteki na kokoro wa, minna ni todoite imashita.That dedicated heart reached everyone.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
