Japanese symbol for “changing”
変え
かえ
Romaji: kae
changing; change
In Japanese, changing is 変え, read かえ (kae).
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 changing; change
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “changing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 転身 | てんしん tenshin | changing (job, career, lifestyle, social position, beliefs, etc.) |
| 移り | うつり utsuri | transferring; transitioning; changing |
| チェンジ | チェンジ chenji | change; changing |
| 鞍替え | くらがえ kuragae | changing (one's job, loyalties, stance, etc.); switching over |
| 移ろい | うつろい utsuroi | change; changing; vicissitudes |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大変 | たいへん taihen | very; greatly; terribly |
| 変更 | へんこう henkou | change; modification; alteration |
| 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 |
See also: Chinese symbol for “changing”.
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.