キリスト

きりすと
noun
Christ
religion
1. Christ
Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. Also used in various compound terms relating to Christianity.
キリスト教(きょう)を信(しん)じている。
I believe in Christianity.
クリスマスはキリストの誕生(たんじょう)を祝(いわ)う日(ひ)だ。
Christmas is a day to celebrate the birth of Christ.
日本(にほん)のキリスト教徒(きょうと)の割合(わりあい)は全(ぜん)人口(じんこう)の約(やく)1パーセントと言(い)われている。
It is said that the proportion of Christians in Japan is about 1 percent of the total population.

From Portuguese "Cristo" (Christ), introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. One of the oldest loanwords in Japanese. Even though Japan has a small Christian population, キリスト appears frequently in daily life through terms like キリスト教(きょう) (Christianity), which is taught in schools and appears in news.

Common collocations

  • キリスト教(きょう): Christianity
  • キリスト教徒(きょうと): Christian (person)
  • キリスト教会(きょうかい): Christian church
  • イエス・キリスト: Jesus Christ
  • キリスト教(きょう)系(けい): Christian-affiliated

Similar words

Etymology

Derived from Portuguese "Cristo," not directly from English. This is why the katakana spelling follows Portuguese pronunciation patterns rather than English ones.

Related Words

Compare: 救世主(きゅうせいしゅ) (savior, messiah)
general
Added 2026.4.19 18:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
24000/24422_kirisuto