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.
山に仙人が住んでいる。
A hermit lives in the mountains.
仙人のような暮らしに憧れる。
I long for a hermit-like lifestyle.
昔話に出てくる仙人は空を飛んだり術を使ったりする。
The sages that appear in old tales can fly through the sky and use magical arts.
Rooted in Chinese Taoist mythology (道教), where 仙人 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 can describe someone who lives a reclusive, otherworldly lifestyle, detached from worldly concerns.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 仙人のような生活 — a hermit-like life
- 仙人修行 — ascetic training to become an immortal
- 仙人掌 — name of a type of cactus (lit. "immortal's palm")