Japanese symbol for “adopt”
取る
とる
Romaji: toru
to take; to pick up; to grab; to catch
In Japanese, adopt is 取る, read とる (toru).
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
- v5r, vt to take; to pick up; to grab; to catch; to hold
- v5r, vt to pass; to hand; to give
- v5r, vt to get; to obtain; to acquire; to win; to receive; to earn
- v5r, vt to adopt (a method, proposal, etc.); to take (a measure, attitude, etc.); to choose
- v5r, vt to remove; to get rid of; to take off
- v5r, vt to take away; to steal; to rob
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “adopt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 採る | とる toru | to adopt (a method, proposal, etc.); to take (a measure, course of action, etc.); to decide on |
| 取り込む | とりこむ torikomu | to take in; to bring in; to adopt (e.g. behaviour) |
| 取り上げる | とりあげる toriageru | to adopt (a proposal); to take up (a topic); to accept |
| 養う | やしなう yashinau | to adopt (a child) |
| 引き取る | ひきとる hikitoru | to take into one's care (e.g. person, pet); to take custody of; to adopt |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取引 | とりひき torihiki | transactions; dealings; business |
| 買取 | かいとり kaitori | purchase; buying; buying out |
| 取得 | しゅとく shutoku | obtaining (a qualification, right, object, etc.); acquisition (of land, property, etc.); gaining possession (of) |
| 取材 | しゅざい shuzai | gathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; covering (an event, incident, etc.) |
| 取締役 | とりしまりやく torishimariyaku | company director; board member |
See also: Chinese symbol for “adopt”.
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.