Japanese symbol for “contrite”
済まない
すまない
Romaji: sumanai
inexcusable; unjustifiable; unpardonable
In Japanese, contrite is 済まない, read すまない (sumanai).
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
- adj-i inexcusable; unjustifiable; unpardonable
- adj-i sorry; remorseful; apologetic; conscience-stricken; contrite
- int excuse me; (I'm) sorry; thank you
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contrite”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 相済まない | あいすまない aisumanai | very sorry; remorseful; apologetic |
| 相済まぬ | あいすまぬ aisumanu | very sorry; remorseful; apologetic |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 経済 | けいざい keizai | economy; economics |
| 救済 | きゅうさい kyuusai | relief; aid; help |
| 返済 | へんさい hensai | repayment; reimbursement; refund |
| 済む | すむ sumu | to finish; to end; to be completed |
| 決済 | けっさい kessai | settlement (of an account); liquidation of debts; payment |
| 済み | ずみ zumi | arranged; taken care of; settled |
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.