Onyomi: テン · Kunyomi: あま-, あまつ, あめ · Meanings: heavens, imperial, sky
Kanji for heavens, imperial, sky
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The kanji 天 began as a drawing of a person (大) with something above their head — the line at the top represents the sky or something higher than humans. In ancient times, people looked up at the wide sky and believed it was the home of the gods or a great power above. The character shows the idea of “what is over us all” — the heavens, the sky, or fate itself.
A person standing with the sky above their head — 天 shows what is high above: the heavens, the sky, the divine.
Imagine standing outside with your arms wide open (大), looking up at the sky stretching far above your head — that endless space above you is 天, the heaven and the sky.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 天 | てん | sky | common Noun |
| 天 | あめ | sky | Noun |
| 天気予報 | てんきよほう | weather forecast, weather report | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 天皇 | てんのう | Emperor of Japan | common JLPT-N2 JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 天気 | てんき | weather | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 天才 | てんさい | genius, prodigy, natural gift | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 天国 | てんごく | paradise, heaven, Kingdom of Heaven | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 天体 | てんたい | heavenly body, celestial body, astronomical object | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 天候 | てんこう | weather | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 天然 | てんねん | nature, spontaneity | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |