Japanese symbol for “behind”
後
あと
Romaji: ato
behind; rear
In Japanese, behind is 後, read あと (ato).
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 behind; rear
- adj-no, n after; later
- adj-no, n remainder; the rest
- adv, n more (e.g. five more minutes); left
- adv, n also; in addition
- adj-no, n descendant; successor; heir
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “behind”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 後ろ | うしろ ushiro | back; behind; rear |
| 尻 | しり shiri | buttocks; behind; rump |
| 後方 | こうほう kouhou | rear; back; behind |
| 影 | かげ kage | behind; background; other side |
| 奥 | おく oku | recesses (of one's mind); bottom (of one's heart); behind (someone's words) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 今後 | こんご kongo | from now on; hereafter |
| 午後 | ごご gogo | afternoon; p.m. |
| 後半 | こうはん kouhan | second half; latter half |
| 後ろ | うしろ ushiro | back; behind; rear |
| 直後 | ちょくご chokugo | immediately following |
See also: Chinese symbol for “behind”.
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.