Japanese symbol for “apprehending”
勾引
こういん
Romaji: kouin
arrest; custody; apprehending; abduction
In Japanese, apprehending is 勾引, read こういん (kouin).
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
- n, vs, vt arrest; custody; apprehending; abduction
Written forms: 勾引、拘引. Readings: こういん.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勾配 | こうばい koubai | slope; incline; gradient |
| 勾玉 | まがたま magatama | magatama; comma-shaped bead from prehistoric Japan, usually made of jade |
| 勾留 | こうりゅう kouryuu | detention pending trial; confinement; custody |
| 勾引し | かどわかし kadowakashi | kidnapper |
| 勾引状 | こういんじょう kouinjou | summons; warrant of arrest |
| 取引 | とりひき torihiki | transactions; dealings; business |
| 引退 | いんたい intai | retirement |
| 割引 | わりびき waribiki | discount; reduction; rebate |
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.