How to Say "Reverence" in Japanese

崇敬

sūkei[sɨːke̞ː]

The English phrase "reverence" translates to Japanese as 崇敬 (sūkei).

崇敬 refers to veneration. Profound awe and respect.

Meaning: veneration, profound awe and respect (noun)

Which one should you use?

敬意 (keii) signifies deep respect and reverential awe, whereas the informal すごい (sugoi) can convey awe, admiration or excitement.

sūkei

The concept of reverence is often intertwined with the term 畏敬 (ikei), which combines 'awe' with 'fear', suggesting that true reverence in Japanese thought includes a sense of holy dread.
The first character in 崇敬, 崇, describes a high mountain, reflecting the idea that reverence is an 'upward' emotion directed toward something superior.
Japanese uses a distinct set of 'honorific' verbs and nouns that change based on the social hierarchy, meaning the act of showing 崇敬 often requires changing the entire grammar of a sentence.

ベンヤミンは優れた芸術作品を前にして人が経験するであろう畏怖や崇敬の感覚を指して「アウラ」という語を用いた。
Benjamin called the sense of awe and reverence experienced before a great work of art "aura".
This sentence shows how the word 崇敬 is used to describe the sense of awe experienced before a great work of art.
Tatoeba #392188 by Scott, translation #392190 by Scott
彼は古の神々に崇敬を捧げた。
Kare wa inishie no kamigami ni suukei o sasageta.
He offered reverence to the ancient gods.
その聖職者は人々から深い崇敬を集めている。
Sono seishokusha wa hitobito kara fukai suukei o atsumete iru.
The priest gathers profound reverence from the people.

Yui and Hiroto are visiting an ancient temple.

結衣 Yui

この場所には、不思議な崇敬の念が漂っていますね。
kono basho ni wa, fushigi na suukei no nen ga tadayotte imasu ne.
There is a mysterious sense of reverence drifting through this place, isn't there?
大翔 Hiroto

本当に。空気がとても厳かな感じがします。
hontou ni. kuuki ga totemo ogosoka na kanji ga shimasu.
Truly. The air feels very solemn.
結衣 Yui

大翔さんは、こういう雰囲気は好きですか？
Hiroto-san wa, kou iu funiki wa suki desu ka?
Do you like this kind of atmosphere, Hiroto?
大翔 Hiroto

はい、心が洗われるようです。
hai, kokoro ga arawareru you desu.
Yes, it feels as if my soul is being cleansed.

Sources

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