神様

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
神	様
かみ Grade: 3	さま Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
神樣 (kyūjitai)

From 神 (kami, “deity, god”) +‎ 様 (-sama, honorific suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かみさま [káꜜmìsàmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠mʲisa̠ma̠]

Noun

神(かみ)様(さま) • (kami-sama) 

1. (honorific) an honorific reference to any god or deity, including the God of the Abrahamic religions
   • 1985 August 20, Taeko Watanabe, “第(だい)四(よん)十(じゅう)六(ろく)話(わ)　時(とき)の絆(きずな)　Ⅲ(さん)”, in ファミリー！, volume 10 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, pages 159–160:

     医(せん)師(せい)⁉

     Sensei⁉

     Doctor!?

     ああ　お父(とう)さんですか？大(だい)丈(じょう)夫(ぶ)　もう心(しん)配(ぱい)いりませんよ　手(しゅ)術(じゅつ)は成(せい)功(こう)です

     Ā O-tō-san desu ka? Daijōbu mō shinpai irimasen yo Shujutsu wa seikō desu

     Yes? You’re the father, right? Everything’s okay, no need to worry. The surgery was a success.

     …あ…あ　感(かん)謝(しゃ)します————神(かみ)さま…！

     …A…a Kansha shimasu———— Kami-sama…!

     …Ah…ah… Thank— God…!

   • 2003 March 19 [2001 December 29], Yumi Hotta with Obata, Takeshi, “第(だい)129(ひゃくにじゅうきゅう)局(きょく)　もどって来(こ)い！”, in ヒカルの碁, 6th edition, volume 15 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, pages 78–79:

     オレなんかいらねェ！もう打(う)ちたいって言(い)わねェよ！だから　神(かみ)さま！お願(ねが)いだ！はじめにもどして！アイツを会(あ)った一(いち)番(ばん)はじめに時(じ)間(かん)をもどして‼

     Ore nan ka ira nē! Mō uchitaitte iwa nē yo! Dakara Kami-sama! O-negai da! Hajime ni modoshite! Aitsu o atta ichiban hajime ni jikan o modoshite‼

     I don’t need anything! I won’t ask to play any more! So, God! I’m begging you! Return things back to the beginning! Turn time back to when I first met him, please!!

2. (figurative) someone who is remarkably strong or skillful at something

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
神	様
かん Grade: 3	さあ Grade: 3

Kanji in this term
神	様
かん Grade: 3	さ Grade: 3

Alternative spelling
神樣 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kã̠ɰ̃sa̠ː]
• IPA^(key): [kã̠ɰ̃sa̠]

Noun

神(かん)様(さあ) or 神様(かんさぁ) or 神(かん)様(さ) • (kansā or kansa) 

1. (Kagoshima) god; gods; goddess; goddesses

See also

• 仏(ほとけ)様(さま) (hotoke-sama, an honorific reference to any buddha)

Further reading

• “かんさあ・かんさぁ・かんさ【神様】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.