詩人
shijin[ɕiʑĩɴ]
The English word "poet" is translated into Japanese as 詩人 (shijin).
詩人 is the most widely used term for "poet" in Japanese. Depending on the context, there are other ways to refer to a poet: 歌人 specifically refers to a poet who specializes in composing traditional Japanese poetry called "tanka," while 詩を作る人 is a literal translation meaning "a person who makes poems" used to refer to a poet informally. You may also use 詩の才能がある人 in informal settings to describe someone as having "poetic talent."
Meaning: person who writes poems (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 詩人 refers to a person who writes poetry, the word 詩 refers to the poem itself.
How do you pronounce it?
shijin
Did you know?
- In ancient Japan, the role of a 歌人 was often tied to the imperial court, where poetry was used as a sophisticated tool for political diplomacy and romantic courtship.
- While 詩人 is used for modern poetry, traditional poets like those writing 'haiku' are often called 俳人.
- In modern Japanese, many people use the loanword 'poeto' (from the English 'poet') in very specific artistic or subculture contexts.
Examples in context
- 彼は詩人だ。He is a poet.Tatoeba #105474 by bunbuku, translation #298215 by CK
- あいつは詩人かなにかだ。He is a poet or something.Tatoeba #234617 by small_snow, translation #71993 by shekitten
- 彼女は詩人ではなく小説家だ。She is not a poet but a novelist.Tatoeba #89220 by bunbuku, translation #314485 by CM
- 彼は優れた詩人です。He is an exceptional poet.
- 彼女は素晴らしい歌人です。She is a wonderful poet (specializing in tanka).
- あの人は本当に詩を作る人だよ。That person is someone who really makes poems (a poet).
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a famous author at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui彼は有名な詩人なんだよ。Kare wa yuumeina shijin nanda yo.He is a famous poet.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当？そんなにすごいの？Hontou? Sonna ni sugoi no?Really? Is he that great?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、言葉がとても美しいんだ。Un, kotoba ga totemo utsukushii n da.Yeah, his words are very beautiful.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣の好きな詩人なんだね。Yui no sukina shijin nanda ne.So he's the poet you like, Yui.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poet” translations and entries 詩人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
