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Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 06:13
I was wondering if there's a kanji for the word soulmate. I know that it's usually used in katakana, but is there a kanji version, too?
If so, could you please tell me the kanji, give me the romaji and tell me what each kanji itself means? :3
I'd be really happy if you did~
Thanks in advantage

Rina
by KairiNamine  

Re: Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 17:38
the word soulmate. I know that it's usually used in katakana

However I think soulmate is ソウルメイト (sourumeito) in Japanese.

I have nothing in mind...
If you can, please tell me about the word in katakana.

Is it means "lovers like Romeo and Juliet" or "best friends"?
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

Re: Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 17:47
Just as you say, KairiNamine, it is usually written in katakana. The concept of "soulmate" is an imported concept, so i is best expressed in katakana. It can mean a wide range of people meaningful to you in your life in their on way - it can be a friend, a partner, your spouse, lover, even business partner, etc. - that any attempt to write it in kanji would restrict the meaning, because there is no kanji that expresses "mate" without specifying the sense to "friend."
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 21:39
So how would you, AK, translate 'soulmates' with the meaning of best friends and lovers? Or would you just use these words even if you wanted to emphasize the big meaning?
Like, if you knew your husband/wife was really made for you and is the one person in the world you're really strongly, deeply connected to, would you still say something like koibito?
by KairiNamine rate this post as useful

Re: Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 22:25
KairiNamine,

Exactly with that description you gave, I would use the word "souru meito" (in katakana) :)

The Japanese vocabulary is full of words that describe relative positions, titles, connections, etc., but not really the "essence" of relationships, I feel at times. So a loan word from English (or other languages) comes in handy at times and they are THE best words to use at times.
by AK rate this post as useful

Re: Japanese for soulmates? 2012/10/29 22:39
Japanese often say "運命の人"(unmei no hito) or "赤い糸で結ばれた二人"(akai ito de musubareta futari).
Or "比翼連理"(hiyoku renri) or "刎頸"(funkei) from Chinese classics.

Umm...,it doesn't ring a bell.
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

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