Japanese symbol for “change”
変更
へんこう
Romaji: henkou
change; modification; alteration; revision
In Japanese, change is 変更, read へんこう (henkou).
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 change; modification; alteration; revision; amendment
Written forms: 変更、變更. Readings: へんこう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “change”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 変化 | へんか henka | change; variation; alteration |
| 変わる | かわる kawaru | to change; to be transformed; to be altered |
| 交代 | こうたい koutai | change; alternation; rotation |
| 変動 | へんどう hendou | change; fluctuation |
| 変換 | へんかん henkan | change; conversion; transformation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大変 | たいへん taihen | very; greatly; terribly |
| 変化 | へんか henka | change; variation; alteration |
| 変わる | かわる kawaru | to change; to be transformed; to be altered |
| 変動 | へんどう hendou | change; fluctuation |
| 変身 | へんしん henshin | metamorphosis; disguise; transformation |
| 更に | さらに sarani | furthermore; again; after all |
| 更新 | こうしん koushin | renewal; update; replacement |
| 更生 | こうせい kousei | rehabilitation; remaking one's life; starting life anew |
See also: Chinese symbol for “change”.
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.