1.
heaven; sky; the heavens
The sky above, or the heavens in a poetic or religious sense. Often invoked in literary, religious, or proverbial contexts.
2.
Heaven; providence; fate (as a personified force)
An impersonal higher power or fate that governs human affairs — comparable to 'Heaven' in classical Chinese thought. Used in set phrases about destiny and divine will.
Literary, philosophical, and religious in tone. In everyday speech, 空 is used for 'sky'; 天 appears mostly in set phrases, proverbs, and formal writing.
Set phrases and proverbs
- 天に任せる: to leave it to fate
- 天を仰ぐ: to look up to heaven (often in despair or appeal)
- 天にも昇る心地: a feeling of soaring to heaven (extreme joy)
- 天と地: heaven and earth
- 天は二物を与えず: 'Heaven does not give two gifts' — no one is gifted in everything