読心術者
dokushinjutsusha
In Japanese, 'mind reader' is translated as 読心術者 (dokushinjutsusha).
読心術者 refers to a person who possesses the supernatural ability to read the thoughts of others. This term is most commonly used in the context of fiction, such as manga, anime or fantasy literature, to describe a character with psychic abilities.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 読心術者 is composed of four parts: 読 (read), 心 (mind/heart), 術 (technique/art) and 者 (person/practitioner).
Which one should you use?
By removing the suffix 者 (person), you get 読心術, which changes the meaning from 'mind reader' to the name of the ability itself, 'mind reading'.
How do you pronounce it?
dokushinjutsusha
Did you know?
- While 読心術者 is the literal term for a psychic, Japanese culture emphasizes 空気を読む, which means 'reading the air'. This describes the social skill of sensing others' feelings without them speaking, a trait highly valued in professional life.
- If you were reading a manga about a psychic, the character might simply be called a エスパー (esupā), an English loanword from 'esper' that is often used instead of the more formal 読心術者.
- The character 術 in 読心術者 can also refer to 'magic' or 'sorcery'. This links the concept of mind reading to the history of occult arts rather than just modern psychology.
Examples in context
- 彼女は心が読めるから、いつも助けてくれます。Because she can understand my thoughts, she always helps me.
- 彼は読心術者だと信じている。Kare wa dokushinjutsusha da to shinjite iru.He believes he is a mind reader.
- その読心術者はとても有名だ。Sono dokushinjutsusha wa totemo yuumei da.That mind reader is very famous.
- 本物の読心術者を探している。Honmono no dokushinjutsusha o sagashite iru.I am looking for a real mind reader.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about a magic show.
- 美咲 Misakiあの人は読心術者なのかな？Ano hito wa dokushinjutsusha na no kana?I wonder if that person is a mind reader?
- 大翔 Hirotoきっと手品を使っているだけだよ。Kitto tejina o tsukatte iru dake da yo.I'm sure they're just using magic tricks.
- 美咲 Misakiでも、全部当たっていたよ！Demo, zenbu atatte ita yo!But everything was correct!
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔は信じないよ。Hiroto wa shinjinai yo.Hiroto doesn't believe it.
