地獄

Japanese

Kanji in this term
地	獄

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 地獄 (/dijH ngjowk/, literally “(under)ground prison”). Compare modern simplified Mandarin 地狱 (dìyù, “hell”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: [d͡ʑigo̞ku͍]

Noun

地獄 (hiragana じごく, romaji jigoku)

1. hell, Hell: an unpleasant afterworld where the souls of the wicked are punished

   地獄に堕ちる

   じごくにおちる
   jigoku ni ochiru

   to fall into hell; to go to hell

Compounds

• 地獄道 (じごくどう, Jigokudō): (Buddhism): Hell; one of the six planes of existence in the cycle of samsara.

Synonyms

• 奈落 (ならく, naraku): (Buddhism): hell

Antonyms

• 天国 (てんごく, tengoku): heaven
• 天上 (てんじょう, tenjō): heaven
• 浄土 (じょうど, jōdo): the Pure Land

Related terms

• 六道 (ろくどう, rokudō): the six Buddhist planes of existence
• 黄泉 (よみ, yomi): the underworld, the land of the dead

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Mandarin

simpl.		地狱
trad.		地獄

Noun

地獄 (traditional, Pinyin dìyù, simplified 地狱)

1. hell