Japanese symbol for “choice”
選択
せんたく
Romaji: sentaku
choice; selection; option
In Japanese, choice is 選択, read せんたく (sentaku).
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 choice; selection; option
Written forms: 選択. Readings: せんたく、せんだく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “choice”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 候補 | こうほ kouho | candidate; contender; prospect |
| 選出 | せんしゅつ senshutsu | election; selection; choice |
| 選 | せん sen | selection; choice; choosing |
| 選考 | せんこう senkou | selection; choice; screening |
| 選抜 | せんばつ senbatsu | selection; choice; picking out |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 選手 | せんしゅ senshu | player (of a sport); athlete; team member |
| 選挙 | せんきょ senkyo | election |
| 選ぶ | えらぶ erabu | to choose; to select; to pick (out) |
| 当選 | とうせん tousen | being elected |
| 予選 | よせん yosen | preliminary contest; qualifying round; trial |
| 選択肢 | せんたくし sentakushi | choices; alternatives; options |
| 採択 | さいたく saitaku | adoption; selection; choice |
| 二者択一 | にしゃたくいつ nishatakuitsu | choosing between two things; two choices |
See also: Chinese symbol for “choice”.
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.