巫女
miko
The Japanese term miko refers to a shrine maiden.
Miko refers to shrine maidens in Japanese culture who perform sacred duties at a Shinto shrine in Japan.
How do you pronounce it?
miko
Did you know?
- In ancient Japan, miko held significant political power and could influence the decisions of emperors through their divine revelations.
- The kanji 巫 used in miko is a pictograph that historically represented a person performing a ritual between the worlds of humans and spirits.
- The word 'miko' is a linguistic cousin to the Mandarin 'wūnǚ', reflecting a shared historical root for the concept of a female shaman.
Examples in context
- 巫女が神社にいます。Miko ga jinja ni imasu.A shrine maiden is at the shrine.
- 巫女の衣装はとても美しいです。Miko no ishou wa totemo utsukushii desu.The shrine maiden's outfit is very beautiful.
- 彼女は巫女として働いています。Kanojo wa miko toshite hataraite imasu.She is working as a shrine maiden.
Example conversation
Two people are visiting a shrine during a local festival.
- 陽葵 Himariあそこに巫女さんがいますね。Asoko ni miko-san ga imasu ne.There is a shrine maiden over there, isn't there?
- 蓮 Ren本当だ、お祭りの準備をしているようです。Hontou da, omatsuri no junbi o shite iru you desu.You're right, she seems to be preparing for the festival.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんは、巫女さんの踊りを見たことがありますか？Ren-san wa, miko-san no odori o mita koto ga arimasu ka?Ren, have you ever seen a shrine maiden's dance?
- 蓮 Renいいえ、一度も見たことがありません。Iie, ichido mo mita koto ga arimasen.No, I have never seen it before.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 巫女, CC BY-SA 4.0.
