じんじゃ
jinjaeveryday
A Shinto shrine in hiragana is じんじゃ (jinja). It is different from a Buddhist temple, which is おてら (otera). The red gate at the entrance of a shrine is a とりい (torii).
The visit itself is called おまいり (omairi).
Meaning: Shinto shrine (noun)
Which one should you use?
じんじゃ belongs to Shinto and おてら belongs to Buddhism. Shrines have torii gates, while temples have large gates and often a pagoda.
When do people say it?
Visitors to a shrine usually clap twice and bow, while at a temple they put their hands together quietly.
Did you know?
- At New Year, many people visit a shrine for the first time of the year, a custom called はつもうで (hatsumōde).
Examples in context
- じんじゃにおまいりにいきます。Jinja ni omairi ni ikimasu.I am going to visit the shrine.
- おしょうがつにじんじゃへいきました。Oshōgatsu ni jinja e ikimashita.I went to a shrine at New Year.
Example conversation
Grandmother and her grandson Sora walk toward a shrine.
- Soraおばあちゃん、あれがとりいだね。Obāchan, are ga torii da ne.Grandma, that is the torii.
- Grandmotherそうよ、じんじゃのいりぐちよ。Sō yo, jinja no iriguchi yo.Yes, it is the entrance to the shrine.
- Soraぼくもおまいりする。Boku mo omairi suru.I will pray too.
