Japanese symbol for “apprentice”
弟子
でし
Romaji: deshi
pupil; disciple; adherent; follower
In Japanese, apprentice is 弟子, read でし (deshi).
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 pupil; disciple; adherent; follower; apprentice; young person
Written forms: 弟子. Readings: でし、ていし.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “apprentice”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弟 | おとうと otouto | pupil; apprentice |
| 徒弟 | とてい totei | apprentice |
| 見習い | みならい minarai | apprentice; trainee; probationer |
| 丁稚 | でっち detchi | apprentice; shop boy |
| 内弟子 | うちでし uchideshi | private pupil; apprentice |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 兄弟 | きょうだい kyoudai | brothers and sisters; siblings |
| 義弟 | ぎてい gitei | brother-in-law (spouse's younger brother or younger sister's husband) |
| 師弟 | してい shitei | teacher and student |
| 弟妹 | ていまい teimai | younger brother and sister |
| 子供 | こども kodomo | child; children |
| 女子 | じょし joshi | woman; girl |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ onnanoko | girl; daughter; baby girl |
| 男子 | だんし danshi | boy |
See also: Chinese symbol for “apprentice”.
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.