悟り
satori[sa̠to̞ɾʲi]
Enlightenment in Japanese is 悟り (satori).
The term 悟り refers to the state of being enlightened or the act of attaining enlightenment.
Meaning: act of enlightening, state of being enlightened (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use 悟り when you are discussing spiritual or religious enlightenment.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
satori
Did you know?
- The term 悟り is frequently used in modern Japan to describe a state of 'giving up' or calm acceptance in the face of a hopeless situation.
- The kanji used in 悟り, the character 悟, contains the radical for 'heart' (心) at the bottom, visually suggesting that enlightenment is a process rooted in the core of one's being.
- Unlike the English 'Enlightenment' which refers to the 18th-century intellectual movement, 悟り is never used to describe that historical period.
Examples in context
- 彼は悟りを開いた。Kare wa satori o hiraita.He attained enlightenment.
- 悟りを開くのは難しい。Satori o hiraku no wa muzukashii.Attaining enlightenment is difficult.
- 悟りの境地を目指す。Satori no kyouchi o mezasu.I aim for the state of enlightenment.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about Zen Buddhism.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さん、悟りについてどう思いますか？Ren-san, satori ni tsuite dou omoimasu ka?Ren, what do you think about enlightenment?
- 蓮 Ren難しいですが、興味深いテーマですね。Muzukashii desu ga, kyoumibukai teema desu ne.It is difficult, but it's a fascinating theme.
- 美咲 Misakiいつか悟りを開いてみたいです。Itsuka satori o hiraite mitai desu.I want to attain enlightenment someday.
- 蓮 Ren美咲さんならできそうですね。Misaki-san nara dekisou desu ne.I think you could do it, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enlightenment” translations and entries 悟り, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
