Japanese symbol for “cherish”
愛でる
めでる
Romaji: mederu
to love; to cherish
In Japanese, cherish is 愛でる, read めでる (mederu).
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
- v1, vt to love; to cherish
- v1, vt to admire; to appreciate
Written forms: 愛でる、賞でる. Readings: めでる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “cherish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 惜しむ | おしむ oshimu | to love; to cherish |
| 抱く | いだく idaku | to have (a thought or feeling); to hold; to harbour (suspicion, doubt, etc.) |
| 大切にする | たいせつにする taisetsunisuru | to cherish; to treasure; to prize |
| 可愛がる | かわいがる kawaigaru | to be affectionate to; to treat tenderly; to dote on |
| 愛しがる | いとしがる itoshigaru | to treat with love; to pity; to cherish |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恋愛 | れんあい ren'ai | love; romance; tender passion |
| 愛情 | あいじょう aijou | love; affection |
| 可愛い | かわいい kawaii | cute; adorable; charming |
| 愛する | あいする aisuru | to love |
| 愛用 | あいよう aiyou | favorite; favourite; habitually used |
| 愛しい | いとしい itoshii | lovely; dear; beloved |
See also: Chinese symbol for “cherish”.
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.