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One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.
The kanji most commonly used for "Soul" are 神、魂、霊.
神
魂 is soul in the personal sense: the animating self, what a person is made of. It is read tamashii on its own, and it is the character in 霊魂 (soul) and in 大和魂, the Japanese spirit. This is the one to reach for if you mean an inward thing that belongs to a living person.
霊 is spirit as something separable and uncanny — the spirit of the dead, an invisible force. It gives 幽霊 (ghost) and 心霊 (spiritual, psychic), so it leans supernatural rather than inward.
神 is a step further out again: a god or deity, the kami of 神社 (shrine) and 神道 (Shinto). It touches soul only through 精神, mind or spirit in the sense of morale and mental life. So choose by direction: inward and personal is 魂, departed or otherworldly is 霊, divine is 神.
魂 is the safe choice for soul and is read tamashii. Avoid 霊 unless you mean a departed or supernatural spirit — its most familiar compound is 幽霊, ghost. 神 will be read as god, which is a claim about deity rather than about your own soul.
What is Onyomi?
Onyomi, also known as the "Sino-Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is derived from the original Chinese pronunciation.
What is Kunyomi?
Kunyomi, also known as the "native Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is based on the native Japanese pronunciation. Kunyomi readings are often used when a kanji character stands alone or is followed by hiragana, as in verbs and adjectives. Mastering both kunyomi and onyomi is crucial for understanding and using kanji effectively in the Japanese language.
What is Radical?
A radical, also known as "bushu" in Japanese, is a fundamental component of kanji characters. Radicals are the building blocks of kanji and are used to categorize and organize them in dictionaries. There are 214 traditional radicals, each with its own meaning, which often provides a clue to the meaning of the kanji character it forms.
What is strokes?
Stroke count, or "kakusuu" in Japanese, refers to the number of individual brushstrokes required to write a kanji character. Each kanji has a specific stroke order and stroke count, which are essential for writing the character correctly and legibly. Understanding and following the correct stroke order not only ensures proper balance and aesthetics but also makes writing more efficient and fluid.