救済
kyūsai[kʲɨːsa̠i]
Redemption in Japanese is 救済 (kyūsai).
救済 is commonly used in contexts of social welfare, such as 'relief for the needy' (困窮者の救済), as well as in religious contexts of salvation.
Meaning: salvation from sin (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters 救 (to rescue/save) and 済 (to settle/remedy/finish).
Which one should you use?
償還 (Shōkan) encompasses redemption in a broader sense and is often used in legal contexts to refer to the act of repaying or compensating for something owed.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūsai
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture and gaming, 救済 is often used in the term 救済措置 (kyūsai sochi), which refers to a 'mercy rule' or a safety net to help a player who is failing miserably.
- Japanese has a specific word, 贖罪 (shokuzai), which refers specifically to the 'atonement' aspect of redemption. Unlike 救済, which focuses on the act of being saved, 贖罪 focuses on the price paid to earn that salvation.
- In certain Buddhist contexts, the idea of 'salvation' or 'redemption' is often expressed through the concept of 'deliverance' from the cycle of suffering, rather than just a legal-style repayment of sin.
Examples in context
- 贖罪を試みるAttempt to seek redemption
- 彼は贖罪の道を進んでいます。He is walking the path of redemption.
- 彼は神の救済を求めている。Kare wa kami no kyūsai o motomete iru.He is seeking salvation from God.
- 罪からの救済は難しい。Tsumi kara no kyūsai wa muzukashii.Redemption from sin is difficult.
- 人々は救済を信じている。Hitobito wa kyūsai o shinjite iru.People believe in salvation.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing an old religious novel.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの物語は救済をテーマにしているね。Kono monogatari wa kyūsai o tēma ni shite iru ne.This story is themed around redemption, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても深い物語です。Hai, totemo fukai monogatari desu.Yes, it is a very deep story.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵さんはどう思う？Himari-san wa dō omou?What do you think, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himari救済の難しさを感じました。Kyūsai no muzukashasa o kanjimashita.I felt the difficulty of redemption.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 救済, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
