祈願|きがんkigan[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbprayer (for something); supplication
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 祈願する（きがんする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 祈願します（きがんします） |
| Negative (nai) | 祈願しない（きがんしない） |
| polite (masen) | 祈願しません（きがんしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 祈願せず・祈願せぬ（きがんせず・きがんせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 祈願した（きがんした） |
| polite (mashita) | 祈願しました（きがんしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 祈願しなかった（きがんしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 祈願しませんでした（きがんしませんでした） |
| Te form | 祈願して（きがんして） |
| Potential | 祈願できる（きがんできる） |
| Passive | 祈願される（きがんされる） |
| Causative | 祈願させる（きがんさせる） |
| Causative passive | 祈願させられる（きがんさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 祈願すれば（きがんすれば） |
| tara | 祈願したら（きがんしたら） |
| Volitional | 祈願しよう（きがんしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 祈願しましょう（きがんしましょう） |
| Imperative | 祈願しろ（きがんしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym祈祷きとうNeutralGeneral praying to gods and Buddhas; also covers saying grace before meals and exorcism rites. 祈願 specifically asks that a particular wish be granted.
- Synonym祈りいのりNeutralEveryday noun for prayer or a wish, not limited to gods and Buddhas. 祈願 is more formal and usually carries a concrete wish.
- Synonym祈念きねんWrittenWritten register: praying for a wish to come true, as in 「成功を祈念する」; common in speeches and congratulatory remarks. 祈願 often means praying at a shrine or temple.
- Synonym祈るいのるNeutralThe most common verb of this set: to pray or wish, and it can also express an ordinary hope. 祈願 is the more formal, noun-based way of saying it.
- Synonym祈請きせいWrittenSame sense as 祈願 — entreating gods and Buddhas — but extremely rare; just say 祈願 in everyday use.
- Synonym立願りつがんWrittenMaking a vow to the gods; close to 祈願 but rarely used today — say 祈願 or 「願をかける」 instead.
- Related念じるねんじるWrittenSilently praying or reciting a Buddha's name or sutra in one's mind; the emphasis is inner thought, while 祈願 usually accompanies a shrine or temple visit.
- Related心願しんがんWrittenA heartfelt wish held in one's mind, or vowing it to the gods; the focus is the wish itself, while 祈願 is the act of praying for it.
- Related称名しょうみょうWrittenChanting the Buddha's name aloud; mere recitation with no wish for anything to come true, and it can also mean a name. Shares only the religious-act sense with 祈願.
- Antonym呪いのろいNeutralAn everyday word for a curse or spell; the opposite of 祈願, which seeks the fulfillment of good wishes.
- Antonym呪詛じゅそWrittenWritten register: praying to the gods for misfortune to strike someone you resent — a curse. It stands opposite 祈願, which asks for good things.
Use 「祈願」 to pray to gods or Buddhas for a wish such as passing an exam or staying safe, as in 「合格祈願」. In everyday speech say 「祈る」 or 「祈り」; in formal speeches and congratulations use 「祈念」. The opposite is 「呪い」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
