Tenshi is the Japanese word for ‘angel’, explained

What does “tenshi” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tenshi” to mean ‘angel’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, video games, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “tenshi” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tenshi”
• Tenshi in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “angel” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “tenshi”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “tenshi”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “tenshi”.

• tenshi – 天使 (てんし) : a noun meaning ‘angel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to someone sent by God from the heaven or sky. He/she often has wings and wears white clothes.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Tenshi in kanji

The kanji expression of “tenshi” consists of the following two characters:

• 天 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘sky’ or ‘heaven’ in Japanese. This kanji can also be found in other words like “tengoku“, “tensai“, and “tenki“.
• 使 : a kanji character used to mean ‘errand’, ‘messenger’, or ‘bearer’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “tenshi” literally means an ‘errand from the sky’ in Japanese. This kanji concept is very close to the meaning, I think.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “tenshi” through the detailed kanji check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “tenshi” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “angel” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• yume – 夢 (ゆめ) : a noun meaning ‘dream’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “yume” to say where “boku” saw the angel.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “tenshi” to make the object word in the sentence.
• mi – 見 (み) : one conjugation of the verb, “miru”, which means ‘to see’, ‘to look’, ‘to watch’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “mi” to make its past tense form, “mi ta”.

This is a typical usage of “tenshi”. When we want to say “angel” or “angels” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.

Example #2: another usage of “tenshi”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “tenshi” and “kao”. The formed phrase literally means ‘the face of an angel’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is very similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
• kao – 顔 (かお) : a noun meaning ‘face’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “tenshi no kao”, to make the object in the sentence.
• omoidase – 思い出せ (おもいだせ) : one conjugation of the verb, “omoidasu”, which means ‘to remember’ or ‘to recall’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the example, this is used after “omoidase” to deny its meaning.

This is another typical usage of “tenshi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “tenshi no kao”, which means ‘the face of the angel’ in Japanese.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “tenshi” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tenshi – 天使 (てんし) : a noun meaning ‘angel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to someone sent by God from the heaven or sky. He/she often has wings and wears white clothes. These two kanji characters literally mean an ‘errand from the sky’. This kanji concept is very close to the meaning, I think.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.