Japanese symbol for “become”
成る
なる
Romaji: naru
to become; to get; to grow; to turn
In Japanese, become is 成る, read なる (naru).
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
- v5r, vi to become; to get; to grow; to turn; to reach; to attain
- v5r, vi to result in; to turn out; to end up; to prove (to be)
- v5r, vi to consist of; to be composed of; to be made up of
- v5r, vi to be completed; to be realized; to succeed; to be attained; to be accomplished
- v5r, vi to change (into); to turn (into); to transform
- v5r, vi to come (to do); to begin (to do); to grow (to do)
Written forms: 成る、為る. Readings: なる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “become”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 似合う | にあう niau | to suit; to match; to become |
| 付く | づく zuku | to become (a state, condition, etc.) |
| 来る | くる kuru | to come to be; to become; to get |
| 走る | はしる hashiru | to go (e.g. bad, to extremes); to become; to turn |
| 化す | かす kasu | to change (into); to turn (into); to transform (into) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 成功 | せいこう seikou | success; achievement |
| 成長 | せいちょう seichou | growth; development; growing up |
| 完成 | かんせい kansei | completion; perfection; accomplishment |
| 平成 | へいせい heisei | Heisei era (1989.1.8-2019.4.30) |
| 構成 | こうせい kousei | composition; construction; formation |
| 達成 | たっせい tassei | achievement; attainment; accomplishment |
See also: Chinese symbol for “become”.
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.