Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ご冥福をお祈りします | Go meifuku wo o inori shimasu | |
| 安らかに眠る | Yasuraka ni nemuru | |
| 安らかに眠れ | Yasuraka ni nemure | [ja̠sɨɾa̠ka̠ ɲ̟i ne̞mɯ̟ɾe̞] (narrow) |
| 安らかに休んでください | Yasuraka ni yasunde kudasai |
This expression is used as a blessing or a way to express hope for the deceased. The most standard formal expression used in condolences, such as in letters or at formal funeral settings, is ご冥福をお祈りします, which means I pray for your happiness in the afterlife.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ご冥福をお祈りします literally means 'I pray for your happiness in the dark/unseen world'.
Which one should you use?
The forms provided vary significantly in tone and function. While ご冥福をお祈りします is a standard polite expression, 安らかに眠れ is an imperative or command form that is much more blunt or poetic. For a general statement or a way to say 'to sleep peacefully' in written literature, the dictionary form 安らかに眠る is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 安らかに眠る is the dictionary form (plain form) and is often used in written literature or as a general statement rather than a direct address to the deceased.
How do you pronounce it?
Go meifuku wo o inori shimasu
When do people say it?
The phrase ご冥福をお祈りします is specifically used in Buddhist contexts and should not be used for people of other faiths like Shinto or Christianity.
Did you know?
- When writing formal condolence letters, the phrase ご冥福をお祈りします is often written without a full stop at the end. This is a traditional way to show that the sentiment or the prayer is ongoing and has no end.
- In Japanese culture, the most appropriate way to express condolences is often to avoid using a specific 'rest in peace' phrase and instead use お悔やみ申し上げます to express sympathy to the living.
- While 安らかに眠れ is a direct command to 'sleep peacefully', it is rarely used in real-life funerals and is instead found primarily in movies, anime and novels for dramatic effect.
Examples in context
- ご冥福をお祈りします。May his soul rest in peace.This sentence is useful for expressing that a soul may rest in peace using ご冥福をお祈りします.Tatoeba #76702 by mookeee, translation #327018 by CM
- 故人のご冥福をお祈りします。kojin no go meifuku o oinori shimasu.I pray for the soul of the deceased.
- 心よりご冥福をお祈りします。kokoro yori go meifuku o oinori shimasu.I pray for their peaceful rest from the bottom of my heart.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are attending a funeral together.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に寂しくなりますね。hontou ni sabishiku narimasu neIt really is sad that they are gone.
- 蓮 Renそうですね。いい方でした。sou desu ne. ii kata deshitaIt is. They were a wonderful person.
- 陽葵 Himari心からご冥福をお祈りします。kokoro kara gomeifuku o oinori shimasuI sincerely pray that they rest in peace.
- 蓮 Ren私も同じ気持ちです。watashi mo onaji kimochi desuI feel the same way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rest in peace” translations and entries 安らかに眠る, 安らかに眠れ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
