Japanese symbol for “apocrypha”
外典
がいてん
Romaji: gaiten
Apocrypha (i.e. as opposed to the Biblical canon)
In Japanese, apocrypha is 外典, read がいてん (gaiten).
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-no, n Apocrypha (i.e. as opposed to the Biblical canon)
- adj-no, n non-Buddhist writings (esp. Confucian writings) (Buddh)
Written forms: 外典. Readings: がいてん、げてん、げでん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “apocrypha”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| アポクリファ | アポクリファ apokurifa | Apocrypha |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for); apart from |
| 外交 | がいこう gaikou | diplomacy |
| 意外 | いがい igai | unexpected; surprising; unanticipated |
| 外部 | がいぶ gaibu | outside (e.g. of a building); exterior |
| 古典 | こてん koten | classic (work, esp. book); the classics |
| 典型 | てんけい tenkei | type; pattern; model |
See also: Chinese symbol for “apocrypha”.
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.