Japanese Symbol for
神秘shinpi
mystery · the mystical · divine secret
Readings
Meaning
Mystery, the mystical, divine secret. 神秘 combines 神 (divine, god) with 秘 (secret, hidden) — a divine secret beyond human comprehension. 謎 (nazo) is the everyday word for a puzzle or mystery.
Example words
謎
nazo
riddle, puzzle, mystery
不思議
fushigi
mysterious, strange, wonderful
神秘的
shinpi-teki
mystical, mysterious
秘密
himitsu
secret
奥深い
okufukai
deep, profound, mysterious
幽玄
yūgen
profound, mysterious beauty (Noh aesthetic)
幽玄 (yūgen) is one of Japan's most untranslatable aesthetic concepts — a profound, mysterious sense of beauty that stirs the emotions in ways that cannot be expressed in words. It's central to Noh theatre, Japanese poetry, and Zen gardens. 不思議 (fushigi — mysterious, strange) appears in the title of Alice in Wonderland's Japanese translation: 不思議の国のアリス (Fushigi no Kuni no Alice).
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