祈きとう

き

と

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

General term for prayer, including religious prayer and saying grace before meals.

き

とう

を

唱とな

える

家か

庭てい

も

ある

。

Some families say grace before meals.

2

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

ShintoBuddhism

Specifically in Shinto or Buddhist contexts, a prayer or ritual to drive away evil spirits.

祈きとうUsage1%
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; preferred in modern usage.
祈き禱とうUsage75%
out-dated kanji form
Contains outdated kanji 禱; rarely used in modern writing.
祈き祷とうUsage24%
Full kanji spelling; 祷 is a less common kanji, so the mixed form is often used.

祈いのり
祈り is a more general and everyday word for prayer, while 祈とう often implies a formal or ritualistic prayer, especially in religious contexts.
お祓はらい
お祓い refers specifically to a Shinto purification or exorcism ritual, whereas 祈とう in the exorcism sense is a broader term that can include Buddhist practices.

From Middle Chinese 祈禱 (MC gji tawX, “to pray”). The kanji 祈 means 'pray' and 祷/禱 means 'prayer' or 'supplication'.