Japanese symbol for “apathetic”
冷淡
れいたん
Romaji: reitan
cool; indifferent; apathetic; half-hearted
In Japanese, apathetic is 冷淡, read れいたん (reitan).
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
- adj-na, n cool; indifferent; apathetic; half-hearted
- adj-na, n cold; cold-hearted; heartless; unkind
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “apathetic”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無関心 | むかんしん mukanshin | apathetic; indifferent; nonchalant |
| 惰弱 | だじゃく dajaku | apathetic; lackadaisical; indolent |
| 無感覚 | むかんかく mukankaku | apathetic; insensitive; indifferent |
| 無自覚 | むじかく mujikaku | unaware; unmindful; unconscious |
| お座なり | おざなり ozanari | perfunctory; apathetic; makeshift |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冷静 | れいせい reisei | calmness; composure; coolness |
| 冷蔵庫 | れいぞうこ reizouko | refrigerator; fridge |
| 冷凍 | れいとう reitou | freezing; cold storage; refrigeration |
| 冷戦 | れいせん reisen | cold war; the Cold War |
| 冷房 | れいぼう reibou | air conditioning; air cooling |
| 冷たい | つめたい tsumetai | cold (to the touch); chilly; icy |
| 淡々 | たんたん tantan | uninterested; unconcerned; indifferent |
| 淡白 | たんぱく tanpaku | light (flavor, color, etc.); simple; plain |
See also: Chinese symbol for “apathetic”.
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.