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**たましい** is defined as " _soul, spirit_ ". But, both of those words have so
much nuance and usages...

Does a person's **たましい** persist after death?  
Could **たましい** be used metaphorically such as `She has the spirit of a lion
and goes for the jugular at the first sign of weakness.`.

**たましい** must be so nuanced. Please explain.
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2016-05-22T00:24:30.697
34270
2016-05-22T11:36:49.530
10938
question
meaning
Nuance of たましい?
1. 魂【たましい】 is something that is believed to persist after one's body perishes. After death, a 魂 may go to Heaven or Hell, or it may float around on earth ([Hitodama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitodama)), or it may be drained or eaten by monsters in fantasy works. It's a rather "occult" term. To refer to _mind_ as opposed to _body_ in academic and/or serious writings, 精神 is usually preferred.
  2. 魂 also metaphorically refers to the essential part of something, someone's essential mindset. 「ライオンの魂 (the spirit of a lion)」「侍魂【さむらいだましい】 (spirit of _samurai_ )」
  3. A 魂 can sometimes stay inside artistic works, speeches, etc. 「魂のない小説 (soulless novel)」「魂のこもった声 (soulful vocal)」

So putting other very rare usages aside, Japanese 魂 can basically be
translated either as _spirit_ or _soul_. Dictionaries say English _soul_
sometimes refer to _heart_ or even _person_ (eg "a kind soul"), but that's not
possible with 魂.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-22T11:36:49.530
34289
2016-05-22T11:36:49.530
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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answer