天使（てんし、tenshi）
- angel

The Japanese word 天使 (てんし) means "angel". It refers to a supernatural being, often depicted as a messenger of God or a divine figure. Angels are generally considered to be benevolent and helpful to humans. The concept of angels is present in many religions and cultures. 天使 can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who is exceptionally kind, pure, or beautiful, resembling the characteristics often associated with an angel.

⚫︎ 天使のような笑顔 Translation: Angelic smile ⚫︎ 彼女は天使だ Translation: She is an angel. ⚫︎ あの映画には、天使が登場する Translation: Angels appear in that movie.

天使 is used in various contexts: ⚫︎ To describe a literal angel. ⚫︎ To describe someone with angelic qualities (kindness, purity, etc.). ⚫︎ In religious or spiritual discussions. ⚫︎ In literature, anime, manga, and other forms of media where angels are a common theme. In conversation, you can use 天使 directly or in compound words to express these meanings.

⚫︎ The word 天使 is primarily written with the kanji 天使. ⚫︎ The reading is てんし in hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no katakana version usually used. ⚫︎ There are no variations in the okurigana (suffix hiragana).

There aren't direct synonyms in Japanese that have the exact same meaning as "angel." However, depending on the context, you could use words that describe similar concepts: ⚫︎ 神の使い (かみのつかい) - Messenger of God ⚫︎ 守護天使 (しゅごてんし) - Guardian angel (more specific) ⚫︎ Words emphasizing goodness and kindness like 優しい (やさしい - kind), 慈悲深い (じひぶかい - merciful).

⚫︎ 悪魔 (あくま) - Devil, demon ⚫︎ 魔物 (まもの) - Demon, monster ⚫︎ Words describing negative traits, such as 意地悪な (いじわるな - mean), 邪悪な (じゃあくな - evil).

その子供は、天使のように純粋な心を持っている。 ・Translation: That child has a heart as pure as an angel. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 天使 metaphorically to describe a child's innocence.

あの映画は、天使と悪魔の戦いを描いている。 ・Translation: That movie depicts the battle between angels and demons. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 天使 to refer to the beings in a religious or mythological context.

The word 天使 is a compound word formed from: ⚫︎ 天 (てん) - "heaven" or "sky" ⚫︎ 使 (し) - "messenger" or "envoy" Therefore, 天使 literally means "heavenly messenger." The concept of an angel or heavenly messenger aligns with this meaning. The word was borrowed from Chinese, where the same characters are used.