What does “kiseki” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kiseki” to mean ‘miracle’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word well as it is often used in Japanese movies, songs, 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 “kiseki” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “kiseki”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kiseki”.
- kiseki – 奇跡 (きせき) : a noun meaning ‘miracle’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to an event which has a very low probability of happening. So, its usage is similar to that of the English noun, “miracle”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Kiseki in kanji
The kanji expression of “kiseki” consists of the following two characters:
- 奇 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘unusual’, ‘odd’, ‘weird’, or such in Japanese.
- 跡 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘sign’, ‘trace’, ‘track’, or such in Japanese.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kiseki” literally means ‘unusual sign’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Miracles are often unusual and leave some signs.
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 the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kiseki” through the detailed kanji check above. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “miracle” in Japanese
boku tachi wa kiseki wo shinjiru – 僕達は奇跡を信じる (ぼくたちはきせきをしんじる)
We believe in miracles.
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.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its plural form, “boku tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kiseki” to make the object in the sentence.
- shinjiru – 信じる (しんじる) : a verb meaning ‘to believe’ or such in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “kiseki”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “kiseki wo shinjiru”, which means ‘to believe in miracles’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “kiseki”
soshite kiseki ga oki ta – そして奇跡が起きた (そしてきせきがおきた)
Then, a miracle happened.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- soshite – そして : a conjunction meaning ‘and’, ‘then’, or such in Japanese.
- 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 “kiseki” to make the subject in the sentence.
- oki – 起き (おき) : one conjugation of the verb, “okiru”, which means ‘to happen’, ‘to occur’, 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 “oki” to make its past tense form, “oki ta”.
This is another typical usage of “kiseki”. When we want to say “miracle” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kiseki” 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.
- kiseki – 奇跡 (きせき) : a noun meaning ‘miracle’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘unusual sign’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Miracles are often unusual and leave some signs.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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