Japanese symbol for “care”
世話
せわ
Romaji: sewa
care; looking after; help; assistance
In Japanese, care is 世話, read せわ (sewa).
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, vt care; looking after; help; assistance; aid
- n trouble; bother
- n, vs, vt good offices; recommendation; introduction
- n everyday life; everyday affairs; everyday language
- n sewamono (Edo-period drama about contemporary life)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “care”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 愛 | あい ai | love; affection; care |
| 手入れ | ていれ teire | care; looking after; repair |
| 治療 | ちりょう chiryou | (medical) treatment; care; therapy |
| 気 | き ki | care; attention; consideration |
| 配慮 | はいりょ hairyo | consideration; concern; attention |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 世界 | せかい sekai | the world; society; the universe |
| 世代 | せだい sedai | generation |
| 世紀 | せいき seiki | century |
| 世の中 | よのなか yononaka | society; the world; the times |
| 世間 | せけん seken | world; society; people |
| 世帯 | せたい setai | household; family |
| 電話 | でんわ denwa | telephone call; phone call |
| 話題 | わだい wadai | topic; subject |
See also: Chinese symbol for “care”.
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.