祈 means “pray, wish”
いのる · inoru
- Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
- いのる
- On'yomi (Chinese reading)
- キ
JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes
The story
An altar (礻) and an axe (斤): picture a warrior laying his axe before the gods to pray for a safe return. 祈る is to pray, students hang 合格祈願 plaques at shrines before exams, and a job rejection is an お祈りメール, since it ends by wishing you well.
Used in 祈る (inoru, to pray), お祈り (oinori, prayer), and 祈願 (kigan, prayer for a wish)
More from Respect & Ritual
- 召 summon
- 伺 humbly ask
- 賞 prize
- 占 fortune-telling
- 承 accept
- 仏 Buddha
- 像 statue
- 栄 flourish
- 敬 respect
- 祭 festival
- 賢 wise
- 尊 revered
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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.