祈る
inoru[ino̞ɾɯ̟]
To pray in Japanese is 祈る (inoru).
祈る is used to talk to God, but it is also commonly used in a secular sense to express a strong hope or wish for someone's well-being or a specific outcome.
Meaning: to talk to God (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb 祈る is 祈り. To express the continuous action of praying, use the progressive form 祈っています.
How do you pronounce it?
inoru
Did you know?
- At Shinto shrines, the sequence of praying is strictly codified as 'two bows, two claps, and one bow'.
- In some contexts, people use a 絵馬 (ema), a wooden plaque, to write their prayers and leave them at a shrine for the gods to read.
- The word 祈る appears in the Kojiki, one of the oldest surviving books in Japanese, dating back to 712 CE.
Examples in context
- 成功を祈るわ。I pray for your success.This sentence shows how to use 祈る to express a wish for success.Tatoeba #143233 by KK_kaku_, translation #559685 by Zifre
- こどもの日と呼ばれる、男の子の成長を祈る伝統の祝日には、よろいが家に飾られます。On Children's Day, traditionally a holiday on which people pray for the growth of boys, armor is displayed at home.This sentence uses 祈る in the context of a traditional holiday for praying for children's growth.Tatoeba #1019818 by yurusu, translation #1019821 by yurusu
- 一部の人はひどい目に遭ったとき、他人に祈りを求めるのに自分は祈ることを忘れてしまう。There are those, who, in distress, seek the help of other people's prayers, but have no mind to pray for themselves.This sentence demonstrates using 祈る to describe the act of praying for oneself.Tatoeba #391964 by Scott, translation #391921 by blay_paul
- 私は毎晩祈ります。I pray every evening.
- 私たちは神社で祈願しました。We prayed at the shrine.
- そんなときは心に願ってみてください。In those moments, try wishing in your heart.
- 君のために祈るよ。I will pray for you.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are walking near a quiet temple.
- 大翔 Hirotoあそこで祈るんですか？Asoko de inoru n desu ka?Are you going to pray there?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、静かに祈りたいです。Hai, shizuka ni inoritai desu.Yes, I want to pray quietly.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、落ち着いてますね。Misaki-san, ochitsuite masu ne.Misaki, you are very calm.
- 美咲 Misaki祈ると、心が穏やかになります。Inoru to, kokoro ga odayaka ni narimasu.When I pray, my heart becomes peaceful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pray” translations and entries 祈る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
