Onyomi: ボウ, ム · Kunyomi: くら.い, ゆめ, ゆめ.みる · Meanings: dream, illusion, vision
Kanji for dream, illusion, vision
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The kanji 夢 has ancient, poetic roots. It originally showed an image of a person’s eyes half-closed beneath a cover, symbolizing sleep, with the element 夕 meaning “night.” In early times, people believed dreams were messages seen while sleeping — visions from spirits or the world beyond. The upper part represents a head covered in darkness or mist, and the lower part shows eyes or a person resting. Together, they form the picture of someone sleeping and seeing visions — the mysterious world of dreams that appear when the night falls.
夢 combines the image of darkness (夕 — night) and a covered head with closed eyes, symbolizing the state of sleep and the visions that appear within it. It represents both literal dreams and the idea of imagination or desire.
Imagine lying down at night (夕), your eyes heavy under the dark cover of sleep — what you see inside your mind becomes 夢, the world of dreams and hopes.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夢 | ゆめ | dream | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 夢中 | むちゅう | absorbed in, immersed in, crazy about, obsessed with, devoted to | common JLPT-N3 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 夢物語 | ゆめものがたり | account of a dream | Noun |
| 夢想 | むそう | dream, vision, reverie | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |
| 夢にも | ゆめにも | (not) in the slightest, (not) at all | Adverb (fukushi) |
| 夢見る | ゆめみる | to dream (of) | Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 夢精 | むせい | wet dream, nocturnal emission | Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 夢想家 | むそうか | dreamer | Noun |
| 夢うつつ | ゆめうつつ | half asleep and half awake, trance | Noun |
| 夢幻 | むげん | dreams, fantasy, visions | Noun |