1.
reincarnation; rebirth; transmigration
The concept of being reborn into a new life or body after death, rooted in Buddhist and Hindu thought. Also widely used in modern fiction, especially the isekai (another-world) genre.
仏教では転生を信じる。
In Buddhism, one believes in reincarnation.
異世界に転生する物語が流行っている。
Stories about reincarnating in another world are popular.
もし生まれ変わるなら、次は猫に転生したいと冗談を言った。
He joked that if he were to be reborn, he'd like to be reincarnated as a cat.
Compound of 転 (to turn, to change) + 生 (life, birth). Used as a suru-verb: 転生する (to be reincarnated).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 異世界転生 (reincarnation in another world — isekai genre)
- 転生する (to be reincarnated)
- 転生先 (the life/world one is reincarnated into)
CULTURAL NOTE:
While originally a Buddhist concept, 転生 has become hugely popular in modern Japanese pop culture through the "isekai" (another-world) genre of light novels, manga, and anime, where protagonists die and are reborn in fantasy worlds. The related term 輪廻 (samsara) is more formal and philosophical.