Japanese symbol for “always”
必ず
かならず
Romaji: kanarazu
always; without exception; necessarily; certainly
In Japanese, always is 必ず, read かならず (kanarazu).
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
- adv always; without exception; necessarily; certainly; without fail; positively
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “always”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 常に | つねに tsuneni | always; constantly; at all times |
| 必ずしも | かならずしも kanarazushimo | (not) always; (not) necessarily; (not) entirely |
| 常々 | つねづね tsunezune | always; usually |
| 毎度 | まいど maido | each time; every time; always |
| 常時 | じょうじ jouji | usually; ordinarily; always |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 必要 | ひつよう hitsuyou | necessary; needed; essential |
| 必死 | ひっし hisshi | frantic; frenetic; desperate |
| 必ずしも | かならずしも kanarazushimo | (not) always; (not) necessarily; (not) entirely |
| 必須 | ひっす hissu | indispensable; essential; requisite |
| 必然 | ひつぜん hitsuzen | inevitable; necessary; certain |
See also: Chinese symbol for “always”.
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.