Japanese symbol for “brave”
勇敢
ゆうかん
Romaji: yuukan
brave; courageous; gallant; valiant
In Japanese, brave is 勇敢, read ゆうかん (yuukan).
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-na, n brave; courageous; gallant; valiant; heroic
Written forms: 勇敢、勇悍. Readings: ゆうかん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “brave”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勇ましい | いさましい isamashii | brave; valiant; gallant |
| 勇者 | ゆうしゃ yuusha | hero; the brave; man of valour (valor) |
| 冒す | おかす okasu | to brave; to risk; to face |
| 潔い | いさぎよい isagiyoi | gracious (defeat, apology, etc.); graceful; honourable (e.g. death) |
| 気丈 | きじょう kijou | stout-hearted; firm; courageous |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 勇気 | ゆうき yuuki | courage; bravery; valour |
| 勇者 | ゆうしゃ yuusha | hero; the brave; man of valour (valor) |
| 勇士 | ゆうし yuushi | brave warrior; hero; brave man |
| 勇ましい | いさましい isamashii | brave; valiant; gallant |
| 勇み足 | いさみあし isamiashi | overeagerness; rashness |
| 果敢 | かかん kakan | resolute; determined; bold |
| 敢行 | かんこう kankou | decisive action; going through with; daring to do |
| 敢えて | あえて aete | purposely (of something needless, unexpected or seemingly counterproductive, etc.); daringly (doing something); deliberately |
See also: Chinese symbol for “brave”.
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.