Readings: デン (Onyomi), との, どの (Kunyomi)
Meaning: Lord, Mr., palace, hall
The kanji 殿 is derived from the pictograph of a grand building or palace. It originally depicted a high-roofed structure with pillars, representing a hall or a palace. Over time, its meaning extended to encompass the person associated with such a grand place, leading to its usage as an honorific for a lord or simply ‘Mr./Ms.’ in formal contexts.
View JLPT N2 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 殿 has 13 strokes. It begins with the ‘corner’ radical (广), followed by the strokes forming the main structure, and ending with the ‘weapon’ radical (殳) on the right.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 殳 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 13 |
| JLPT Level | N2 |
| Grade | Joyo |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- デン (DEN)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- との (tono)
- どの (dono)
Common Words Using 殿
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 殿堂 | でんどう | palace, temple, hall of fame |
| 本殿 | ほんでん | main shrine (of a Shinto shrine) |
| 神殿 | しんでん | temple, shrine |
| 宮殿 | きゅうでん | palace |
| 殿下 | でんか | His/Her/Your Highness |
| 殿舎 | でんしゃ | palace, mansion, hall |
| 殿中 | でんちゅう | inside the palace/hall |
| 殿門 | でんもん | palace gate |
| 殿閣 | でんかく | palace, stately building |
| 殿試 | でんし | imperial examination (historical) |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 殿 | どの | Mr., Ms. (formal suffix) |
| 殿方 | とのがた | gentlemen, sirs (archaic, formal) |
| 殿様 | とのさま | feudal lord |
| 殿様商売 | とのさましょうばい | business without effort, uncompetitive business |
| 大殿 | おおとの | great lord, senior lord (archaic) |
| 奥殿 | おくどの | inner palace/hall (archaic) |
| 中殿 | ちゅうどの | middle hall (rare) |
| 殿さま蛙 | とのさまがえる | Japanese pond frog |
| 御殿 | ごてん | palace, mansion (note: often uses 御, but 殿 is read との in some contexts, ごてん for palace is more common) |
| 家殿 | いえどの | my husband (archaic, humble) |
Example Sentences
Japanese: この建物は昔、宮殿として使われていました。
Kana: このたてものはむかし、きゅうでんとしてつかわれていました。
Romaji: Kono tatemono wa mukashi, kyūden to shite tsukawarete imashita.
English: This building was formerly used as a palace.
Japanese: 彼は殿堂入りした伝説の選手です。
Kana: かれはでんどういりしたでんせつのせんしゅです。
Romaji: Kare wa dendōiri shita densetsu no senshu desu.
English: He is a legendary player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Japanese: 手紙の宛名に「〜殿」と書くことがあります。
Kana: てがみのあてな「〜どの」とかくことがあります。
Romaji: Tegami no atena ni “~dono” to kaku koto ga arimasu.
English: Sometimes you write “~dono” in the address of a letter.
Japanese: 歴史の教科書で殿様の生活について学びました。
Kana: れきしのきょうかしょでとのさまのせいかつについてまなびました。
Romaji: Rekishi no kyōkasho de tonosama no seikatsu ni tsuite manabimashita.
English: I learned about the life of feudal lords in my history textbook.
Japanese: 神殿の前で祈りを捧げた。
Kana: しんでんのまえでいのりをささげた。
Romaji: Shinden no mae de inori wo sasageta.
English: I offered a prayer in front of the temple.
Japanese: 皇族の方は「〜殿下」と呼ばれます。
Kana: こうぞくのかたは「〜でんか」とよばれます。
Romaji: Kōzoku no kata wa “~denka” to yobaremasu.
English: Members of the imperial family are called “~His/Her Highness.”
Japanese: 本殿の修復工事が始まった。
Kana: ほんでんのしゅうふくこうじがはじまった。
Romaji: Honden no shūfuku kōji ga hajimatta.
English: The restoration work on the main shrine has begun.
Japanese: 映画で古い宮殿のシーンがたくさんあった。
Kana: えいがでふるいきゅうでんのシーンがたくさんあった。
Romaji: Eiga de furui kyūden no shīn ga takusan atta.
English: There were many scenes of old palaces in the movie.
Japanese: ご担当者様、高橋殿。
Kana: ごたんとうしゃさま、たかはしどの。
Romaji: Go tantōsha-sama, Takahashi-dono.
English: To the person in charge, Mr./Ms. Takahashi (Formal address in business correspondence).
Japanese: 彼は殿様商売をしているので、競争をあまり気にしない。
Kana: かれはとのさましょうばいをしているので、きょうそうをあまりきにしない。
Romaji: Kare wa tonosama shōbai wo shite iru node, kyōsō wo amari ki ni shinai.
English: He runs an uncompetitive business, so he doesn’t care much about competition.
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