尊い（とうとい、touとi）
- precious

The Japanese word 尊い, read とうとい (toutoi), conveys a sense of preciousness, worthiness of respect, sacredness, or sublimity. It often describes something that is highly valued, revered, or held in deep esteem. It implies a feeling of awe, reverence, or deep appreciation. The word suggests something that is beyond the ordinary, something special and deserving of protection or care. It can also describe the value of something beautiful and emotional. This can be things, ideas, or even a person. The concept focuses on something having high value.

⚫︎命は尊い Translation: Life is precious. ⚫︎その絵は尊い芸術作品だ Translation: That painting is a sublime work of art. ⚫︎犠牲になった人々の尊い魂を忘れない Translation: We will not forget the precious souls of those who made the sacrifice.

尊い is used to describe things or concepts that evoke a feeling of awe, respect, or high value. ⚫︎It's often used when talking about life, human relationships, art, or anything considered sacred. ⚫︎It's suitable for formal or informal conversations, depending on the context. ⚫︎When expressing strong admiration or appreciation, you can use this word. ⚫︎尊い can also be used in situations where you want to describe a person who has achieved something that is inspiring or important.

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji as 尊い. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is とうとい. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually "い". ⚫︎Variations in okurigana are uncommon. ⚫︎The verb form is 尊ぶ (tattobu), meaning "to revere" or "to honor".

⚫︎貴重な (kichō na) - precious, valuable. ⚫︎大切な (taisetsu na) - important, precious. ⚫︎神聖な (shinseina) - sacred, holy. ⚫︎崇高な (sūkō na) - sublime, lofty. ⚫︎貴重 (kichō) - valuable ⚫︎貴い (tōtoi) - valuable ⚫︎素晴らしい (subarashii) - wonderful, marvelous (though it often lacks the element of reverence).

⚫︎There is no single direct antonym. The opposite meaning would depend on the context. Words like: ⚫︎つまらない (tsumaranai) - boring, uninteresting. ⚫︎くだらない (kudaranai) - worthless, trivial. ⚫︎軽蔑すべき (keibetsu subeki) - contemptible. could be considered as antonyms depending on context.

彼女の献身的な姿は尊い ・Translation: Her selfless dedication is precious. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses admiration for someone's dedication.

この友情は私にとって尊いものだ ・Translation: This friendship is precious to me. ・Explanation: It expresses a deep appreciation and value for a friendship.

The kanji 尊 (son/touto) originally meant "venerable" or "worthy of respect". The addition of the "い" (i) transforms the kanji to the adjective form. The word is related to the verb 尊ぶ(tattobu), which means "to revere" or "to honor". The meaning of 尊い arises from the idea of the object being worthy of respect and high regard, hence the feeling of preciousness or sacredness.