Japanese symbol for “admire”
憧れる
あこがれる
Romaji: akogareru
to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after; to be attracted by
In Japanese, admire is 憧れる, read あこがれる (akogareru).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v1, vi to long for; to yearn for; to hanker after; to be attracted by; to be drawn to; to aspire to
Written forms: 憧れる、憬れる、憧憬れる. Readings: あこがれる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “admire”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 眺める | ながめる nagameru | to look out over; to get a view of; to admire (e.g. the scenery) |
| 偲ぶ | しのぶ shinobu | to admire (e.g. beauty); to praise; to commend |
| 見上げる | みあげる miageru | to look up to; to admire; to respect |
| 愛でる | めでる mederu | to admire; to appreciate |
| 壮とする | そうとする soutosuru | to admire (someone's courage); to approve of (someone's ambition) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 憧れ | あこがれ akogare | yearning; longing; aspiration |
| 憧憬 | どうけい doukei | longing; yearning; aspiration |
| 憧れの的 | あこがれのまと akogarenomato | object of adoration, longing |
See also: Chinese symbol for “admire”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.