仙人(せんにん)

せんにん
noun
hermit; sage; immortal being
person
1. hermit; mountain sage; immortal being
In East Asian mythology and Taoism, a person who has achieved supernatural powers and immortality through ascetic training in the mountains. Often depicted as an elderly figure with mystical abilities.
山(やま)に仙人(せんにん)が住(す)んでいる。
A hermit lives in the mountains.
仙人(せんにん)のような暮(く)らしに憧(あこが)れる。
I long for a hermit-like lifestyle.
昔話(むかしばなし)に出(で)てくる仙人(せんにん)は空(そら)を飛(と)んだり術(じゅつ)を使(つか)ったりする。
The sages that appear in old tales can fly through the sky and use magical arts.

Rooted in Chinese Taoist mythology (道教(どうきょう)), where 仙人(せんにん) are beings who have transcended mortality through spiritual cultivation. The concept was absorbed into Japanese folklore and appears frequently in legends, anime, and manga.

In casual usage, 仙人(せんにん) can describe someone who lives a reclusive, otherworldly lifestyle, detached from worldly concerns.

Common collocations

  • 仙人(せんにん)のような生活(せいかつ) — a hermit-like life
  • 仙人(せんにん)修行(しゅぎょう) — ascetic training to become an immortal
  • 仙人(せんにん)掌(しょう) — name of a type of cactus (lit. "immortal's palm")

Related Words

Compare: 世捨(よす)て人(びと) (hermit)
general
Added 2026.2.17 23:34 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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