聖書

• Reading: せいしょ
• Romaji: seisho
• Kanji breakdown: 聖 (sei) — holy, sacred; 書 (sho) — book, writing
• Pronunciation: /seː.ɕo/

Meaning

Bible; the Scriptures; Holy Writ. The sacred text of Christianity.

A noun referring to the Christian Bible. Divided into 旧約聖書 (Old Testament) and 新約聖書 (New Testament). While Japan has a small Christian population, the term is widely known through cultural exposure to Western literature, art, and media. Also used metaphorically as バイブル (bible) to mean an authoritative reference book in any field.

Examples

1. 彼は毎朝聖書を読む習慣がある。 He has a habit of reading the Bible every morning.
2. 聖書の言葉に励まされる人は世界中にいる。 There are people all over the world who find encouragement in the words of the Bible.
3. 大学の比較文化の授業で聖書を読むことになった。 I ended up reading the Bible in a comparative culture class at college.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, literature, culture, education

Tone: reverent

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 聖書. 聖 (sei) means holy or sacred, and 書 (sho) means book or writing. A direct translation of the concept of sacred scripture.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal