Tamashii is the Japanese word for ‘soul’, explained

What does “tamashii” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tamashii” to mean ‘soul’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes 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 “tamashii” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “tamashii”
• Tamashii in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “soul” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “tamashii”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “tamashii”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “tamashii”.

• tamashii – 魂 (たましい) : a noun meaning ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a spiritual part inside a person which is strongly related to his/her character, personality, or way of living. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to those of the English words like “soul” and “sprit”, I think.

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

Tamashii in kanji

The kanji character of “tamashii” consists of the following two parts:

• 云 : a kanji character used in Japanese words related to the act of telling.
• 鬼 : a kanji character used to mean a daemon. This can also mean a dead person.

From these two components, we can understand that “tamashii” literally means ‘dead person’s telling’. This kanji concept is a bit weird and doesn’t seem to be in line with the meanings. It’s worth mentioning here, however, that many Japanese people believe that a person tells something through his/her soul even after he/she has died. So, the kanji concept above is interestingly still close to the meanings.

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

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

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

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• sakuhin – 作品 (さくひん) : a noun meaning ‘product’ in Japanese. Depending on the context, this can also mean ‘work’ or ‘artwork’.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say to what object an action is directed. In the example, this is used after “sakuhin” to say to what object “kanojo” put her heart and soul.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “tamashii” to make the object word in the sentence.
• kome – 込め (こめ) : one conjugation of the verb, “komeru”, which means ‘to load’, ‘to put’, 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 “kome” to make its past tense form, “kome ta”.

This is a typical usage of “tamashii”. In this example, it works as a part of the idiomatic expression, “tamashii wo komeru”, which means ‘to put someone’s heart and soul’ in Japanese. Native speakers sometimes use this expression, so it’s worth knowing. When we want to say “soul” in Japanese, anyway, “tamashii” is a very good option.

Example #2: another usage of “tamashii”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. The first “no” in the example is used after “kanojo” to make its possessive case, “kanojo no”, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is mainly used by boys and young males.
• no – の : the same as explained above. The second “no” in the example is used after “boku” to make its possessive case, “boku no”, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• yusabut – 揺さぶっ (ゆさぶっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “yusaburu”, which means ‘to shake’, ‘to swing’, ‘to shock’, ‘to move’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.

This is another typical usage of “tamashii”. In this example, it works as a part of the idiomatic expression, “tamashii wo yusaburu”, which means ‘to move someone’s soul’ in Japanese. Japanese people use this expression when their souls are moved or touched.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “tamashii” 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.

• tamashii – 魂 (たましい) : a noun meaning ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this to refer to a spiritual part inside a person which is strongly related to his/her character, personality, or way of living. So, the usage of this noun is very similar to those of the English words like “soul” and “sprit”, I think. When we want to say “soul” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.
• tamashii wo komeru – 魂を込める (たましいをこめる) : an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to put someone’s heart and soul’ in Japanese. Native speakers sometimes use this expression, so it’s worth knowing.
• tamashii wo yusaburu – 魂を揺さぶる (たましいをゆさぶる) : an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to move someone’s soul’ in Japanese. Native speakers use this expression when their souls are moved or touched.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.