A semiconductor light emitting element is proposed that improves a light extraction efficiency without requiring any complicated processes and techniques. The semiconductor light emitting element includes an active layer for emitting first light by current injection, and a light absorbing and emitting section for absorbing a part of the first light and for emitting second light having a greater peak wavelength than the first light. A difference in peak wavelength between the first light and the second light is in a range in which a spectrum of a mixture of the first and second light maintains a unimodal characteristic or is smaller than 0.9 times a half width of the spectrum of the first light.