死神
shinigami
The Japanese word for reaper is 死神 (shinigami).
死神 is used to refer to the personification of death, such as the Grim Reaper. In Japanese folklore and mythology, a shinigami is a deity or spiritual being responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife.
Meaning: one who reaps (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
shinigami
Did you know?
- The character 死 (shi) in 死神 (shinigami) is the same character used for 'death', which is also the homophone for the number 'four'.
- While English speakers often see a reaper as a harvester of crops, the term 死神 (shinigami) is composed of the characters for 'death' and 'god'.
- In some Japanese urban legends, a 死神 may appear as a regular human to offer a deal, often involving the trade of a person's lifespan for a worldly wish.
Examples in context
- 私は死神です。I am a reaper.
- 死神様、お願いがあります。Dear reaper, I have a request.
- 彼は死神のような雰囲気を持っている。Kare wa shinigami no yōna fun'iki o motte iru.He has an aura like a reaper.
- その映画には死神が登場する。Sono eiga ni wa shinigami ga tōjō suru.A reaper appears in that movie.
- 死神は恐ろしい存在だ。Shinigami wa osoroshii sonzai da.A reaper is a terrifying existence.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a costume party.
- 結衣 Yui健太はパーティーに何を着ていくの？Kenta wa pātī ni nani o kite iku no?What are you wearing to the party, Kenta?
- 健太 Kenta黒いマントを着て、死神になるよ。Kuroi manto o kite, shinigami ni naru yo.I'm wearing a black cloak and going as a reaper.
- 結衣 Yuiそれは面白そうね！Sore wa omoshirosou ne!That sounds interesting!
- 健太 Kenta大きな鎌も準備したんだ。Ookina kama mo junbi shita nda.I prepared a big scythe too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 死神, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
