Japanese kanji 拝: worship and respectful viewing

The idea

拝 has eight strokes; use the linked diagram for their order. 拝む is おがむ; 参拝 is さんぱい, 拝見 is はいけん, and 礼拝 is れいはい.

Examples

• 初詣はつもうでで神社じんじゃに参拝さんぱいしました。I visited a shrine to worship for the first shrine visit of the year.
• 祖母そぼは仏壇ぶつだんの前まえで手てを合あわせて拝おがみました。My grandmother put her hands together and prayed in front of the Buddhist altar.
• 先生せんせいの作品さくひんを拝見はいけんしました。I viewed my teacher’s work.
• 日曜日にちようびに教会きょうかいの礼拝れいはいに参加さんかしました。I attended a church service on Sunday.
• 山頂さんちょうから初日はつひを拝おがみました。I watched the first sunrise of the year from the mountaintop.
• 手紙てがみの冒頭ぼうとうに拝啓はいけいと書かきました。I wrote 拝啓 at the beginning of the letter.

Watch out

拝見する humbly describes seeing something belonging to another person; it does not mean worshipping it. 拝む can also mean respectfully viewing a sunrise.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 拝む in hiragana.

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   おがむ

   拝む is おがむ: the grandmother prays before the altar.

2. Write the reading of 参拝 in hiragana.

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   さんぱい

   参拝 is さんぱい: it describes visiting a shrine to worship.

3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿見（はいけん）［拝／拜］.

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   拝

   拝 completes 拝見（はいけん）, a humble expression for seeing.

Use it today

Write 拝 using the diagram, then cover the table and read 参拝 and 拝見. Make a sentence with one.