Japanese symbol for “deed”
行為
こうい
Romaji: koui
act; deed; conduct
In Japanese, deed is 行為, read こうい (koui).
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 act; deed; conduct
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “deed”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行い | おこない okonai | deed; act; action |
| 仕業 | しわざ shiwaza | deed (esp. negative); act; action |
| 証書 | しょうしょ shousho | document (of proof); certificate; paper |
| 業 | わざ waza | deed; act; work |
| 所業 | しょぎょう shogyou | act (usu. undesirable); action; deed |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行動 | こうどう koudou | action; conduct; behaviour |
| 行う | おこなう okonau | to perform; to do; to conduct oneself |
| 銀行 | ぎんこう ginkou | bank; banking institution |
| 行き | いき iki | the way there; outbound leg; outbound trip |
| 旅行 | りょこう ryokou | travel; trip; journey |
| 為替 | かわせ kawase | money order; draft |
| 為政者 | いせいしゃ iseisha | statesman; administrator; politician |
| 無為 | むい mui | idleness; inactivity |
See also: Chinese symbol for “deed”.
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.