天
heavens · sky · imperial
Details
Description
Heaven/Sky - the celestial realm, divine authority.
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
One + big
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph indicating space above a person's head. The area above a person (大).
Symbolism
Heavens, abode of gods, fate. Used in important concepts like 'heavenly mandate' and 'emperor'.
Spiritual Meaning
Represents supreme realm where gods dwell, worshipped as source of power beyond human knowledge - heavenly mandate and punishment.
Anime & Manga
天気の子
てんきのこ
Weathering with You(2019)
Story of girl who controls weather. Directed by Makoto Shinkai
View on Amazon →Dr.STONE
どくたーすとーん
Dr. Stone(2019)
Story of genius Senku reviving civilization with science
View on Amazon →Games
天穂のサクナヒメ
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin(2020)
Action RPG about heavenly god's daughter doing rice farming
View on Amazon →崩壊:スターレイル
Honkai: Star Rail(2023)
Turn-based RPG traveling through space (heavens)
View on Amazon →Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
旭日昇天
きょくじつしょうてん
full of vigor and vitality (like the rising sun); in the ascendant; full of vigor and vitality (like the rising sun)
一天四海
いってんしかい
the world; the universe; the world
一天万乗
いってんばんじょう
the whole realm; the whole realm
奇想天外
きそうてんがい
fantastic; bizarre; incredible; fantastic
驚天動地
きょうてんどうち
astounding; startling; world-shaking; astounding
三日天下
みっかてんか
short-lived rule; being in power only for a brief period; brief championship; short-lived rule
青天白日
せいてんはくじつ
clear weather; being cleared of the charge (brought against one); having one's innocence proved; clear weather
天衣無縫
てんいむほう
perfect beauty with no trace of artifice; flawless; perfect beauty with no trace of artifice
天井桟敷
てんじょうさじき
gallery (in a theatre); upper gallery; cheap seats; gallery (in a theatre)
天下一品
てんかいっぴん
beyond compare; peerless; unrivaled; beyond compare
天下無双
てんかむそう
peerless; unequaled; unequalled; peerless
天涯孤独
てんがいこどく
a person without a single relative; a person without a single relative
天空海濶
てんくうかいかつ
the open sky and the serene sea; as open as the sky and serene as the sea; magnanimous; the open sky and the serene sea
天真爛漫
てんしんらんまん
innocent; naive; artless; innocent
天地開闢
てんちかいびゃく
creation of heaven and earth; creation of heaven and earth
天地神明
てんちしんめい
the gods of heaven and earth; the gods of heaven and earth
天地創造
てんちそうぞう
creation (of the universe); the Creation; creation (of the universe)
天地万物
てんちばんぶつ
the whole creation; everything in heaven and earth; the whole creation
天地無用
てんちむよう
do not turn upside down; do not turn upside down
天長地久
てんちょうちきゅう
coeval with heaven and earth; coeval with heaven and earth
天罰覿面
てんばつてきめん
the certainty of divine punishment; Swift is Heaven's vengeance; the certainty of divine punishment
天変地異
てんぺんちい
natural disaster; cataclysm; natural disaster
天佑神助
てんゆうしんじょ
divine grace; God's help; divine grace
不倶戴天
ふぐたいてん
cannot allow (oneself) to live (with someone) under the canopy of heaven; cannot allow (the sworn enemy) to live in this world; irreconcilable (enemy); cannot allow (oneself) to live (with someone) under the canopy of heaven
天神地祇
てんしんちぎ
gods of heaven and earth; gods of heaven and earth
運否天賦
うんぷてんぷ
trusting to chance; trusting to Providence; trusting to chance
水天彷彿
すいてんほうふつ
the sky and water merging into one; seamless merging of the sea and the sky; the sky and water merging into one
意気衝天
いきしょうてん
in high spirits; in high spirits
則天去私
そくてんきょし
selfless devotion to justice; selfless devotion to justice
天壌無窮
てんじょうむきゅう
as eternal as heaven and earth; as eternal as heaven and earth
震天動地
しんてんどうち
earth-shaking; earth-shaking
天下泰平
てんかたいへい
peace throughout the world; carefree; peaceful; peace throughout the world
天下無敵
てんかむてき
peerless; unequalled; unequaled; peerless
干天慈雨
かんてんじう
welcome (beneficial) rain in a drought; realization of something eagerly looked for; a welcome relief; welcome (beneficial) rain in a drought
天下御免
てんかごめん
licensed; chartered; officially allowed; licensed
天災地変
てんさいちへん
natural disaster; natural disaster
天網恢々
てんもうかいかい
heaven's vengeance is slow but sure; heaven's net is wide and coarse, yet nothing slips through; heaven's vengeance is slow but sure
怒髪衝天
どはつしょうてん
being in a towering rage; boiling with rage; being in a towering rage
有頂天外
うちょうてんがい
beside oneself with joy; in raptures; in an ecstasy of delight; beside oneself with joy
旱天慈雨
かんてんじう
welcome (beneficial) rain in a drought; realization of something eagerly looked for; a welcome relief; welcome (beneficial) rain in a drought
敬天愛人
けいてんあいじん
revere heaven, love people; revere heaven, love people
天涯地角
てんがいちかく
two places being far apart; two places being far apart
天涯比隣
てんがいひりん
a great distance does not detract from the feeling (relationship) of endearment; feeling as though a dear one faraway were living in one's close neighborhood; a great distance does not detract from the feeling (relationship) of endearment
天下多事
てんかたじ
eventful times for the nation (world); the nation (world) being in turmoil; the storm clouds gathering in the land; eventful times for the nation (world)
天下無類
てんかむるい
peerless (unparalleled, matchless, unequaled) in the country; peerless (unparalleled, matchless, unequaled) in the country
天上天下
てんじょうてんげ
the whole world; throughout heaven and earth; the whole world
天孫降臨
てんそんこうりん
the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess; the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess
天地玄黄
てんちげんこう
heaven is black and earth is yellow; heaven and earth; heaven is black and earth is yellow
天地長久
てんちちょうきゅう
heaven and earth are eternal; heaven and earth are eternal
天理人情
てんりにんじょう
the laws of nature and humanity; the laws of nature and humanity
俯仰天地
ふぎょうてんち
looking up and down, from heaven to earth (having nothing to be ashamed of); swearing by Heaven and Earth (having done nothing to be ashamed of); looking up and down, from heaven to earth (having nothing to be ashamed of)
歓天喜地
かんてんきち
great joy; jubilation; exultation; great joy
天然自然
てんねんしぜん
natural; naturally; natural
天馬行空
てんばこうくう
unconstrained creativity; bold and imaginative; (like a) a heavenly steed soaring across the skies; unconstrained creativity
雲外蒼天
うんがいそうてん
light at the end of the tunnel; relief after overcoming hardship; open sky beyond the clouds; light at the end of the tunnel
Proverbs & Idioms
天は自ら助くる者を助く
てんはみずからたすくるものをたすく
Heaven helps those who help themselves
Success comes to those who make their own effort
天に唾する
てんにつばする
Spitting at heaven
An action that harms oneself in the end
天知る地知る我知る人知る
てんしるちしるわれしるひとしる
Heaven knows, earth knows, I know, others know
Nothing can be hidden; wrongdoing will be discovered
Poetry
春すぎて 夏来にけらし 白妙の 衣ほすてふ 天の香具山
Poem #2 from Hyakunin Isshu
天の原 ふりさけ見れば 春日なる 三笠の山に 出でし月かも
Poem #7 from Hyakunin Isshu
天つ風 雲のかよひ路 吹きとぢよ をとめの姿 しばしとどめむ
Poem #12 from Hyakunin Isshu
大江山 いく野の道の 遠ければ まだふみも見ず 天の橋立
Poem #60 from Hyakunin Isshu
Related Figures
天武天皇
(てんむてんのう)Asuka-period emperor with 'heaven' in name
Won Jinshin War and ascended throne. Ordered compilation of Nihon Shoki