懺悔

• Reading: ざんげ
• Romaji: zange
• Kanji breakdown: 懺 (zan/san) — confess, repent; 悔 (kai/ku) — regret, repent
• Pronunciation: /za.ɴ.ɡe/

Meaning

Repentance; confession; penitence for one's sins or wrongdoings.

A する verb (懺悔する) with roots in both Buddhism and Christianity. In Buddhism, it refers to acknowledging and repenting one's transgressions. In Christianity, it corresponds to confession before a priest. In everyday use, it can mean deeply regretting and confessing one's misdeeds.

Examples

1. 彼は過去の過ちを心から懺悔した。 He sincerely repented for his past mistakes.
2. 教会で神父の前で懺悔する人々の姿があった。 There were people confessing before a priest at the church.
3. 心からの懺悔がなければ本当に許されることはないだろう。 Without sincere repentance, one can never truly be forgiven.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, ethics, literature

Tone: solemn

Origin & History

From Buddhist Sanskrit 'kṣamā' (patience/forgiveness), transliterated into Chinese as 懺悔. The first character 懺 represents confession, and 悔 means regret. Later also adopted in Christian contexts for the sacrament of confession.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal