Japanese symbol for “contrition”
悔恨
かいこん
Romaji: kaikon
regret; remorse; repentance; contrition
In Japanese, contrition is 悔恨, read かいこん (kaikon).
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-no, n, vs regret; remorse; repentance; contrition
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contrition”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛悔 | つうかい tsuukai | contrition; extreme regret |
| 悔心 | かいしん kaishin | contrition |
| 改悛 | かいしゅん kaishun | repentance; contrition |
| コンチリサン | コンチリサン konchirisan | contrition |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 後悔 | こうかい koukai | regret; repentance; remorse |
| 悔しい | くやしい kuyashii | frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined |
| 悔い | くい kui | regret; repentance |
| 悔やむ | くやむ kuyamu | to mourn; to lament |
| 懺悔 | ざんげ zange | repentance; confession; penitence |
| 悔し泣き | くやしなき kuyashinaki | crying from vexation; tears of regret |
| 恨み | うらみ urami | resentment; grudge; malice |
| 恨む | うらむ uramu | to bear a grudge against; to resent; to blame |
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.