Japanese symbol for “bonus”
手当
てあて
Romaji: teate
salary; pay; compensation; allowance (e.g. housing allowance)
In Japanese, bonus is 手当, read てあて (teate).
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 salary; pay; compensation; allowance (e.g. housing allowance); benefit; bonus
- n, vs medical care; treatment
- n, vs advance preparation
Written forms: 手当、手当て. Readings: てあて.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “bonus”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ボーナス | ボーナス boonasu | bonus |
| 賞与 | しょうよ shouyo | bonus |
| 報奨 | ほうしょう houshou | bonus; bounty; reward |
| 割り増し | わりまし warimashi | extra (charge, fare, etc.); premium; bonus |
| 慰労金 | いろうきん iroukin | bonus; reward for one's services |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相手 | あいて aite | companion; partner; company |
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 手段 | しゅだん shudan | means; way; method |
| 手術 | しゅじゅつ shujutsu | surgery; operation; procedure |
| 大手 | おおて oote | major company; big company |
| 手紙 | てがみ tegami | letter; note |
| 本当 | ほんとう hontou | truth; reality; actuality |
| 当時 | とうじ touji | at that time; in those days |
See also: Chinese symbol for “bonus”.
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.