Japanese symbol for “construction”
建設
けんせつ
Romaji: kensetsu
construction; establishment
In Japanese, construction is 建設, read けんせつ (kensetsu).
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 construction; establishment
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “construction”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 建築 | けんちく kenchiku | construction; architecture (of buildings) |
| 構築 | こうちく kouchiku | construction; building; putting up |
| 構造 | こうぞう kouzou | structure; construction; makeup |
| 構成 | こうせい kousei | composition; construction; formation |
| 仕組み | しくみ shikumi | structure; construction; arrangement |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 建物 | たてもの tatemono | building |
| 建築 | けんちく kenchiku | construction; architecture (of buildings) |
| 再建 | さいけん saiken | rebuilding; reconstruction; rehabilitation |
| 建前 | たてまえ tatemae | face; official stance; public position or attitude (as opposed to private thoughts) |
| 建つ | たつ tatsu | to be erected; to be built |
| 設定 | せってい settei | establishment; creation; posing (a problem) |
| 施設 | しせつ shisetsu | facility; facilities; institution |
| 設置 | せっち setchi | establishment; institution |
See also: Chinese symbol for “construction”.
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.