Japanese symbol for “begin”
始まる
はじまる
Romaji: hajimaru
to begin; to start; to commence
In Japanese, begin is 始まる, read はじまる (hajimaru).
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 begin; to start; to commence
- v5r, vi to happen (again); to begin (anew)
- v5r, vi to date (from); to originate (in)
Written forms: 始まる、創まる. Readings: はじまる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “begin”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 始める | はじめる hajimeru | to start; to begin; to commence |
| 出す | だす dasu | to begin ...; to start to ...; to burst into ... |
| 取り掛かる | とりかかる torikakaru | to begin (doing); to start; to set about |
| 仕掛ける | しかける shikakeru | to start; to begin; to commence |
| 入る | はいる hairu | to enter (a month, season, etc.); to reach (e.g. a climax); to get to (e.g. the main topic) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開始 | かいし kaishi | start; commencement; beginning |
| 始め | はじめ hajime | beginning; start; outset |
| 始まり | はじまり hajimari | origin; beginning; start |
| 始める | はじめる hajimeru | to start; to begin; to commence |
| 終始 | しゅうし shuushi | beginning and end |
See also: Chinese symbol for “begin”.
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.