精神
seishin[se̞ːɕĩɴ]
The Japanese word for 'spirit' (in the sense of soul) is 精神 (seishin).
精神 (seishin) refers to the human spirit, psyche or mentality. It is used when discussing the 'spirit' of an abstract concept, such as the spirit of a law, a company's philosophy or a person's mental and intellectual state, rather than a ghostly or supernatural entity.
Meaning: soul (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 精神 refers to the mind, intellect or the 'spirit' of a concept or group, the word 魂 (tamashii) refers to a literal, metaphysical soul or the life force of a person or object.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can also form the word 精神力 (seishinryoku), which combines 'spirit' with the character for 'power' to mean 'willpower' or 'mental strength'.
How do you pronounce it?
seishin
Did you know?
- The character 精 in 精神 (seishin) can also mean 'essence' or 'refined', which is why the same root appears in the word for 'sperm' or 'semen'.
- Japanese has the word 気 (ki), which represents a different kind of 'spirit' or energy that flows through the body and the universe, distinct from the intellectual 精神 (seishin).
- The word 精神 can also be used to describe 'sanity' or 'mental health' in a clinical or formal way, such as in the term 精神科 (seishinka) for a psychiatry department.
Examples in context
- すべての人間は、生まれながらにして自由であり、かつ、尊厳と権利とについて平等である。人間は、理性と良心とを授けられており、互いに同胞の精神をもって行動しなければならない。All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.This sentence shows how to express acting with a spirit of brotherhood.Tatoeba #475434 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #338182 by sysko
- 条約の精神が没却されていた。The spirit of the treaty was ignored.This sentence illustrates using the term to describe the spirit of a treaty.Tatoeba #74134 by fcbond, translation #329586 by fcbond
- 企業経営で活躍するために必要となるのが多くの仲間と仕事を遂行するための協調精神です。What you need to take part in business management is the team spirit to work with many colleagues.This sentence demonstrates the use of the term to describe team spirit in a professional context.Tatoeba #74311 by fcbond, translation #329409 by fcbond
- 彼女は霊感があるShe has a sixth sense.
- 彼は強い精神力を持っているHe has a strong willpower.
- 彼の気合いには負けないぞ！I won't lose against his fighting spirit!
- 彼女の心意気に感動したI was moved by her spirit.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are talking about the stress of their exams.
- 大翔 Hiroto最近、勉強しすぎて精神的に疲れたよ。Saikin, benkyou shisugite seishinteki ni tsukareta yo.I'm mentally exhausted from studying too much lately.
- 結衣 Yuiたまには精神を休ませることが大切だよ。Tamani wa seishin o yasumaseru koto ga taisetsu da yo.It's important to let your spirit rest once in a while.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。今日はもうゆっくり休むよ。Sou da ne. Kyou wa mou yukkuri yasumu yo.You're right. I'll just relax for the rest of the day.
- 結衣 Yuiそれが一番いいと思うよ、大翔君。Sore ga ichiban ii to omou yo, Hiroto-kun.I think that's the best thing to do, Hiroto.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spirit” translations and entries 精神, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
