Japanese symbol for “chivalry”
任侠
にんきょう
Romaji: ninkyou
chivalry; chivalrous spirit; helping the weak and fighting the strong
In Japanese, chivalry is 任侠, read にんきょう (ninkyou).
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 chivalry; chivalrous spirit; helping the weak and fighting the strong
- n-pref yakuza
Written forms: 任侠、仁侠、任俠、仁俠. Readings: にんきょう、じんきょう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “chivalry”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 士道 | しどう shidou | chivalry; samurai code |
| 義侠 | ぎきょう gikyou | chivalry; generosity |
| 男気 | おとこぎ otokogi | chivalrous spirit; chivalry |
| 騎士道 | きしどう kishidou | chivalry |
| 義気 | ぎき giki | chivalry; heroism |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 責任 | せきにん sekinin | duty; responsibility (incl. supervision of staff) |
| 任務 | にんむ ninmu | duty; function; office |
| 就任 | しゅうにん shuunin | assumption (of office); taking up (a post); inauguration |
| 辞任 | じにん jinin | resignation (from a position) |
| 任意 | にんい nin'i | optional; voluntary; arbitrary |
| 主任 | しゅにん shunin | person in charge; senior staff; manager |
| 侠客 | きょうかく kyoukaku | self-styled humanitarian; person acting under the pretence of chivalry while participating in gangs and engaging in gambling |
| 義侠 | ぎきょう gikyou | chivalry; generosity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “chivalry”.
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.