Say, you're writing a love letter to God. Is this the right thing to write on the envelope?
最愛の神さん
(I'm writing a short story featuring that theme.)
EDIT:
Maybe this 親愛なる神へ is better grammar?
Say, you're writing a love letter to God. Is this the right thing to write on the envelope?
最愛の神さん
(I'm writing a short story featuring that theme.)
EDIT:
Maybe this 親愛なる神へ is better grammar?
In the many Japanese versions of the Bible (including Old and New Testaments) and of Jewish and Christian prayers, hymns, etc, God is usually referred to simply as 神. When addressing God directly, the usual usage is 神よ. わが父, "Our Father", and おん主 (おんあるじ), "Lord", are also used. But it sounds as though your story might be looking for a particular effect (perhaps comic?), so you'd have to take that into account before deciding what form to use.
No, it isn't. You must use 様 for God like 神様. However if you refer to Jesus Christ, the phrase which Graham Healey said would be appropriate and 様 doesn't seem to be used like 親愛なる神へ, but I am not sure.
This answer is specifically from a Christian perspective. If you're referring to some other "God", then this answer may not really apply. YMMV.
As a Christian who worked at a Christian church in Japan for 2 years, I can say these other answers are a little incomplete. The most familiar and intimate expressions would be:
- [主]{しゅ} → Lord
- [神様]{かみ・さま} → God (but sounds a bit less intimate)
- [父]{ちち}なる(主・神様) → Lord/God our Father
- [愛]{あい}する(主・神様) → Our loving Lord/God
- [天]{てん}のお[父様]{とう・さま} → Our Father in Heaven / Our Heavenly Father
Many a prayer I've heard started out with 愛する天のお父様、感謝します (Our loving Father in Heaven, we thank you).
As some of the other answers mentioned, you can add よ to the term when talking to God or when praying, but you wouldn't add it to the front of the envelope.