Meaning
宣 means to declare, proclaim, or announce — making something officially and openly known to a wide audience. Unlike casual speech, it carries authority: a statement issued from power and broadcast broadly. You'll find it across vocabulary ranging from government emergency declarations and courtroom verdicts to religious missions and advertising campaigns.
The kanji breaks into two parts: 宀 (roof, うかんむり) on top, and 亘 (to span, stretch across) below. Together they picture words issuing from an official seat of power — the roof — then spreading outward across the land. Authority plus reach: that is 宣.
Imperial edicts, religious proclamations, formal rulings from rulers and deities — classical Chinese and Japanese texts used this character for all of them. It has 9 strokes and enters the school curriculum at Grade 6, one of the later elementary levels. That timing reflects its home territory: formal and official discourse, not everyday conversation. At JLPT N1, you'll need it for newspapers, legal documents, and historical texts.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
セン (SEN) is the only common on'yomi and the reading behind nearly every modern compound involving this kanji. You'll encounter it in newspapers, formal writing, and official announcements.
セン appears almost exclusively in compound words (熟語, jukugo), tracing back to Middle Chinese with a stable semantic core of "declaration" and "proclamation." Three essential examples:
- 宣言 (sengen) — declaration, proclamation; the bedrock compound, covering everything from 独立宣言 (independence declaration) to 非常事態宣言 (state of emergency declaration)
- 宣伝 (senden) — advertising, publicity, propaganda; by far the most common modern use of this kanji
- 宣告 (senkoku) — legal pronouncement, verdict; a court officially declaring guilt or sentencing
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi のたま・う (notama-u) is classical and honorific — a verb meaning "to say" reserved strictly for emperors, deities, and figures of supreme authority. Think of it as the exalted counterpart to 言う (iu, to say).
In modern Japanese, のたまう is archaic. You won't hear it in everyday conversation. But it appears steadily in classical literature (古文, kobun), imperial rescripts, and historical documents — exactly the material JLPT N1 reading passages draw from.
- 宣う (notamau) — to declare, to say (honorific, for emperors and deities)
- 宣わく (notamawaku) — archaic classical formula introducing a quotation from an emperor or deity; roughly "thus it was declared..." or "the words of the exalted one were..."
Common Words & Compounds
宣 generates important words across four areas: official declarations, communications and media, religion, and historical documents.
Official Declarations & Government Announcements:
- 宣言 (sengen) — declaration, proclamation; covers independence declarations, states of emergency, and political manifestos
- 宣告 (senkoku) — legal pronouncement, verdict; a judge or court formally declaring a ruling
- 宣布 (senpu) — promulgation; making a new law or policy officially and widely known
- 宣戦 (sensen) — declaration of war; almost always seen in 宣戦布告 (sensen fukoku), the formal declaration of war
Communication, Media & Publicity:
- 宣伝 (senden) — advertising, publicity, propaganda; the most frequently used 宣 compound in modern Japanese
- 宣伝活動 (senden katsudou) — promotional campaign, publicity activities; common in business and political contexts
- 宣揚 (senyou) — promotion, glorification; spreading an idea or value widely and with praise
Religious & Ceremonial:
- 宣教 (senkyou) — missionary work, evangelism; spreading the teachings of a religion
- 宣教師 (senkyoushi) — missionary, evangelist; one who travels to propagate religious teachings
- 宣誓 (sensei) — oath, solemn pledge; used in legal proceedings and official ceremonies — note: entirely different from 先生 (teacher), despite the identical reading
Written & Historical Documents:
- 宣言書 (sengensho) — written declaration, manifesto; a formal document proclaiming a position or principle
- 宣旨 (senji) — imperial edict; historical term for official orders issued in the emperor's name in classical Japan
Example Sentences
大統領は独立宣言に署名した。
Daitouryou wa dokuritsu sengen ni shomei shita.
The president signed the Declaration of Independence.
この商品は宣伝よりもずっとよかった。
Kono shouhin wa senden yori mo zutto yokatta.
This product was far better than the advertising led me to expect.
裁判官は被告に有罪を宣告した。
Saibankan wa hikoku ni yuuzai wo senkoku shita.
The judge pronounced the defendant guilty.
選手たちはオリンピックの開会式で宣誓した。
Senshu-tachi wa Orinpikku no kaikai-shiki de sensei shita.
The athletes took their oath at the Olympic opening ceremony.
政府は非常事態を宣言した。
Seifu wa hijou jitai wo sengen shita.
The government declared a state of emergency.
その宣教師は外国で長年活動していた。
Sono senkyoushi wa gaikoku de naganen katsudou shite ita.
That missionary had spent many years working abroad.
会社の新製品の宣伝活動は大成功だった。
Kaisha no shinseihin no senden katsudou wa dai seikou datta.
The company's promotional campaign for the new product was a major success.
両国の間で宣戦布告が行われた。
Ryoukoku no aida de sensen fukoku ga okonawareta.
A formal declaration of war was made between the two countries.
古文では、天皇が宣わく、という表現がよく使われる。
Kobun de wa, Tennou ga notamawaku, to iu hyougen ga yoku tsukawareru.
In classical Japanese, the phrase "thus the Emperor declared..." appears frequently.
Memory Tip
Picture a royal palace — grand roof (宀) overhead, the seat of power. The king's proclamation rings out and spans the land (亘), reaching every village and distant hill. Authority radiating outward from under a roof: that is 宣.
Anchor it to 宣伝 (senden, advertising): a brand's message spreads to as many people as possible, just as an imperial decree once did. Roof → span → declare widely. The structure tells the story.