天国
tengoku[tẽ̞ŋɡo̞kɯ̟]
The Japanese word for heaven is 天国 (tengoku). If unsure, use 天国. Wiktionary also lists 天堂 (tendō) and 楽園 (rakuen).
Meaning: paradise and upper-world (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 天国 | tengoku | [tẽ̞ŋɡo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 天堂 | tendō | [tẽ̞ndo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 楽園 | rakuen | [ɾa̠kɯ̟ẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
天国 is used to refer to the religious or spiritual concept of heaven. It is frequently paired with 地獄, which means hell, to express the duality of heaven and hell.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 天国 is composed of 天, meaning 'sky' or 'heaven' and 国, meaning 'country' or 'realm'.
Which one should you use?
While 天国 refers to the spiritual concept of heaven, 楽園 is used to describe a terrestrial paradise or an idyllic place on earth. The term 楽園 specifically means paradise.
How do you pronounce it?
tengoku
Did you know?
- The character 天 in 天国 can be read as 'ama' in ancient Japanese, appearing in 'Amaterasu', the sun goddess and primary deity of Shintoism.
- In certain Buddhist contexts, the concept of 'heaven' is not a single destination but one of many 'heavens' or realms one might be reborn into.
- While 天国 is the general term, the word 極楽 refers specifically to the 'Pure Land' in Buddhist tradition, which is a distinct conceptual version of paradise.
Examples in context
- 一緒に天国へ行きたいか？Do you want to go to heaven with me?This sentence uses 天国 to express a desire to go to heaven with someone.Tatoeba #10953691 by small_snow, translation #10953690 by CK
- 勝てば天国、負ければ即死。If you win you'll be in heaven, if you lose it's certain death.This sentence uses 天国 to illustrate a high-stakes situation of winning or losing.Tatoeba #10588101 by Sonata, translation #13079849 by nana2capriccio
- 天国と地獄って本当にあるの？Do heaven and hell actually exist?This sentence uses 天国 to ask about the existence of heaven and hell.Tatoeba #9734111 by Sim5634, translation #11097935 by vinkaks
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are talking about their beliefs after a movie.
- 大翔 Hiroto死んだ後は、天国に行けると思う？Shinda ato wa, tengoku ni ikeru to omou?Do you think we can go to heaven after we die?
- 陽葵 Himariそうね。きっと天国は心地いい場所だと思うわ。Sou ne. Kitto tengoku wa kokochi ii basho da to omou wa.I guess so. I'm sure heaven is a comfortable place.
- 大翔 Hiroto美味しいものがたくさんある天国がいいな。Oishii mono ga takusan aru tengoku ga ii na.I hope heaven is full of delicious food.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くんは本当に食いしん坊ね。Hiroto-kun wa hontou ni kuishinbou ne.Hiroto, you really are a foodie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heaven” translations and entries 天国, 天堂, 楽園, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
