安らかに眠ってください
yasuraka ni nemutte kudasaineutral, polite
The closest Japanese match for "rest in peace" is 安らかに眠ってください (yasuraka ni nemutte kudasai), "please sleep peacefully". In formal condolences people usually say ご冥福をお祈りします (go-meifuku o oinori shimasu) instead.
Meaning: wish for the peace of someone who has died (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 安らかに眠ってください | yasuraka ni nemutte kudasai | neutral, polite |
| ご冥福をお祈りします | go-meifuku o oinori shimasu | formal, condolence |
安らかに眠ってください is a direct wish addressed to the person who has died, so it fits a grave, a memorial post or a personal farewell. ご冥福をお祈りします is said to the bereaved and means "I pray for the repose of the soul".
Which one should you use?
English "rest in peace" is short and can stand alone. Japanese condolences are usually longer and often name the person, for example 田中さんのご冥福をお祈りします (Tanaka-san no go-meifuku o oinori shimasu).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a funeral or a message to a family, ご冥福をお祈りします is the safer choice. The ご at the start is the honorific prefix and the ending します is polite.
Did you know?
- 冥福 (meifuku) refers to happiness in the afterlife, which is why ご冥福をお祈りします is used at Buddhist funerals in Japan.
Examples in context
- 心よりご冥福をお祈りします。Kokoro yori go-meifuku o oinori shimasu.I pray from my heart for the repose of his soul.
- おじいちゃん、安らかに眠ってね。Ojiichan, yasuraka ni nemutte ne.Grandpa, rest in peace.
Example conversation
Yui visits her grandfather's grave with her father Kenji and speaks to the photo.
- Kenji安らかに眠ってください。Yasuraka ni nemutte kudasai.Please rest in peace.
- Yuiおじいちゃん、また来るね。Ojiichan, mata kuru ne.Grandpa, I will come again.
- Kenjiご冥福をお祈りします。Go-meifuku o oinori shimasu.We pray for his repose.
