'nembutsu' originates from Japanese, specifically the word '念仏 (nenbutsu)', where '念 (nen)' meant 'to think; to recite' and '仏 (butsu)' meant 'Buddha'.

'nembutsu' comes from the Japanese reading 'nenbutsu' of the Sino-Japanese compound '念仏', a term used in Buddhist texts; this Japanese religious term was adopted into English usage to refer to the practice and the chant.

Initially, in Japanese it referred to the practice of reciting the Buddha's name and the phrase itself; in modern English usage the sense has been retained as the religious practice or chant 'nembutsu'.