宮殿
kyūden[kʲɨːdẽ̞ɴ]
The English word palace is translated into Japanese as 宮殿 (kyūden). If unsure, use 宮殿. Wiktionary also lists 宮闕 (kyūsetsu).
Meaning: large, lavish residence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 宮殿 | kyūden | [kʲɨːdẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 宮闕 | kyūsetsu |
宮殿 refers to a large, lavish residence. It is used to describe both real historical structures and fictional or grand architectural descriptions.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 宮殿 is composed of the characters 宮, meaning palace or shrine and 殿, meaning hall or palace.
Which one should you use?
While 宮殿 is the standard term for a large, lavish palace, 宮闕 is a more literary or archaic term used in historical contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūden
Did you know?
- The word 殿 in 宮殿 is used as a very formal honorific suffix for people in official documents, similar to 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' but with a higher level of formality.
- Japanese distinguishes between a 'palace' 宮殿 and a 'castle' 城. While a 宮殿 is built for luxury and administration, a 城 is specifically built for military defense.
- While 宮殿 is used for general grand buildings, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo is rarely called a 宮殿 in daily life, often being referred to simply as 皇居 (kōkyo), meaning 'Imperial Residence'.
Examples in context
- 宮殿には高い塔がある。The palace has a tall tower.This sentence is useful for describing features of a palace using 宮殿.Tatoeba #182613 by arnab, translation #19750 by CK
- 女王はバッキンガム宮殿に住んでいる。The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace.This sentence is useful for naming a specific palace using 宮殿.Tatoeba #147297 by bunbuku, translation #267263 by CM
- きらびやかでいて重厚な宮殿を前に言葉も出ない。I'm speechless before such a beautiful and stately palace.This sentence is useful for describing the impression of a palace using 宮殿.Tatoeba #11001555 by KK_kaku_, translation #11534465 by pip
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is visiting a historical site in a foreign country.
- 結衣 Yuiこの宮殿はとても大きいね。Kono kyūden wa totemo ōkii ne.This palace is very large, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoああ、本当に豪華な宮殿だ。Aa, hontō ni gōka na kyūden da.Yeah, it really is a lavish palace.
- 結衣 Yuiまるで夢の中にいるみたい。Marude yume no naka ni iru mitai.It feels like being in a dream.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、もっと中に入ってみよう。Yui, motto naka ni haitte miyou.Yui, let's go further inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “palace” translations and entries 宮殿, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
