霊: the kanji for spirit; soul
霊 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means spirit; soul. Below are its readings, 4 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
霊 is written in 15 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
霊 has 3 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 4 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
レイ (rei)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 幽霊ゆうれい · yūrei | ghost |
| 霊感れいかん · reikan | sixth sense; inspiration |
リョウ (ryou)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 悪霊あくりょう · akuryō | evil spirit |
たま (tama)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 言霊ことだま · kotodama | spiritual power of words |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- あの古い家には幽霊が出るそうだ。Ano furui ie ni wa yūrei ga deru sō da.They say that old house is haunted.
- 彼女は霊感が強いと言う。Kanojo wa reikan ga tsuyoi to iu.She says she has a strong sixth sense.
- 映画の中で悪霊が暴れた。Eiga no naka de akuryō ga abareta.An evil spirit ran wild in the movie.
- …日本には言霊という考え方がある。Nihon ni wa kotodama to iu kangaekata ga aru.In Japan, there is the idea that words have spiritual power.
- 子どもの頃は幽霊が怖かった。Kodomo no koro wa yūrei ga kowakatta.I was afraid of ghosts as a child.
Questions about 霊
How many strokes does 霊 have?
霊 is written in 15 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 霊?
The on readings are rei (レイ), ryou (リョウ). The kun readings are tama (たま).
What JLPT level is 霊?
N1. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N1 is designed to match the former Level 1.
More JLPT N1 kanji
Study, language and culture
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 霊
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.