信者
shinja[ɕĩɲ̟d͡ʑa̠]
The English word 'devotee' is translated into Japanese as 信者 (shinja).
信者 is used to describe a person who is a devotee or a believer, primarily within a religious context. It refers to a follower of a specific faith or deity.
Meaning: admirer (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 信, meaning faith or trust and 者, meaning person.
Which one should you use?
While 信者 refers specifically to a religious devotee, the katakana word ファン is used when you want to say 'fan' in the sense of an admirer of celebrities, sports or hobbies.
How do you pronounce it?
shinja
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese internet slang, the term 信者 is frequently used to describe 'fanatical followers' of certain YouTubers or internet personalities, regardless of any actual religion being involved.
- The kanji 信 in 信者 is also the root of the word 信用 which means 'credit' or 'trust' in a financial sense.
- If you call someone a 信者 in a non-religious conversation, it can carry a sarcastic tone, implying that the person is a 'blind follower' who lacks their own judgment.
Examples in context
- 彼は本当に美術ファンです。He is a real art devotee.
- 彼はその宗教の熱心な信者です。Kare wa sono shuukyou no nesshin na shinja desu.He is a devoted follower of that religion.
- 多くの信者がその寺を訪れます。Ooku no shinja ga sono tera o otozuremasu.Many devotees visit that temple.
- 彼女は昔からその教えの信者です。Kanojo wa mukashi kara sono oshie no shinja desu.She has been a devotee of those teachings since long ago.
Example conversation
Himi and Ren are talking about a famous director's new movie.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、この監督の映画を全部見たの？Ren, kono kantoku no eiga o zenbu mita no?Ren, have you seen all the movies by this director?
- 蓮 Renうん、僕は彼の信者だからね。Un, boku wa kare no shinja dakara ne.Yeah, because I'm a devotee of his.
- 陽葵 Himariそんなに好きなんだね！Sonna ni suki nanda ne!Wow, you really love him!
- 蓮 Ren最高の天才だと思うよ。Saikō no tensai da to omou yo.I think he is the greatest genius.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 信者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
