神様

神様

Japanese

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

Alternative spelling
神樣 (kyūjitai)

Etymology 1

From 神 (kami, “deity, god”) +‎ 様 (-sama, honorific suffix).[1][2][3][4]

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (Tokyo) か​みさま [káꜜmìsàmà] (Atamadaka – [1])[3][5][4]
• 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, Watanabe, Taeko, “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) [Chapter 46: The Bond of Time III]”, in ファミリー！ [Family!], 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 [Dec 29 2001], Hotta, Yumi; 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！ [Game 129: Come Back!]”, in ヒカルの碁 [Hikaru’s Go], volume 15 (fiction), 6th edition, 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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

神様(かんさあ) or 神様(かんさ) • (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.

References

1. 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
4. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
5. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN