How to say "meditation" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 瞑想めいそうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe default word for meditation as a deliberate practice of calming and focusing the mind, as in yoga or Buddhist contexts. Use this when 'meditation' refers to the practice itself.
- 思索しさくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers meditation in the sense of deep, serious thinking or contemplation about ideas and life's questions. It is intellectual pondering, not a mental-training practice; for that, 瞑想 is the right choice.
- 反省はんせいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbPrimarily means reflecting on or examining one's own behavior and mistakes, so it matches 'meditation' only in the marginal sense of introspection. It is seldom the word you want for meditation proper.
Use 瞑想 for meditation as a practice of quieting the mind; 思索 for deep, contemplative thinking; 反省 mainly means reflecting on one's own faults, and is only marginally 'meditation'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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