神童
shindō[ɕĩndo̞ː]
The English word 'prodigy' is translated into Japanese as 神童 (shindō).
神童 is used to describe a child who exhibits extraordinary abilities, most commonly in specific fields such as music, mathematics or academics. It specifically emphasizes the precocious nature of a child's talent.
Meaning: extremely talented person, especially a child (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for 'god/divine' (神) and 'child' (童), literally meaning 'divine child'.
Which one should you use?
While 神童 emphasizes a child's precocious talent, the term 天才 is used for a genius of any age.
How do you pronounce it?
shindō
Did you know?
- If you call an adult a 神童, it can sound quite sarcastic or patronizing, as the word is fundamentally anchored to childhood.
- In Japanese culture, the concept of a 神童 is sometimes viewed with a mix of admiration and pity, as the pressure to live up to 'divine' expectations can lead to burnout in adulthood.
- In Japanese media, a character with the label 神童 is often depicted as having a 'destiny' or 'fate' rather than just being a hard worker.
Examples in context
- トムは神童だった。Tom was a prodigy.This sentence uses 神童 to describe someone who was a prodigy in the past.Tatoeba #8215943 by Tanikaz, translation #8750575 by chanchan
- 彼は本当に神童である。He truly is a prodigy.This sentence uses 神童 to describe someone who truly is a prodigy.Tatoeba #543070 by blay_paul, translation #543071 by blay_paul
- 彼は本当に天才です。He is truly a prodigy.
- 彼女はピアノの神童です。She is a piano prodigy.
- 彼女、めちゃくちゃ才能あるよね。She has an incredible amount of talent, right?
- その神童のピアノは素晴らしかった。Sono shindou no piano wa subarashikatta.The prodigy's piano playing was wonderful.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are talking about a talented young musician.
- 蓮 Renこの子の演奏、本当にすごいね。Kono ko no ensō, hontō ni sugoi ne.This child's performance is truly amazing.
- 陽葵 Himariまさに神童だね。Masa ni shindō da ne.He is truly a prodigy.
- 蓮 Ren練習をどれだけしたんだろう。Renshū o dore dake shita n darō.I wonder how much he practiced.
- 陽葵 Himari天性の才能があるんだろうね。Tensei no sainō ga aru n darō ne.He probably has a natural talent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prodigy” translations and entries 神童, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
