Japanese symbol for “destiny”
運命
うんめい
Romaji: unmei
fate; destiny; lot
In Japanese, destiny is 運命, read うんめい (unmei).
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 fate; destiny; lot
Written forms: 運命. Readings: うんめい、さだめ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “destiny”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 約束 | やくそく yakusoku | destiny; fate |
| 宿命 | しゅくめい shukumei | fate; destiny; predestination |
| 命 | いのち inochi | fate; destiny; karma |
| 因縁 | いんねん innen | fate; destiny |
| 数 | すう suu | destiny; fate; outcome |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 運動 | うんどう undou | exercise; physical training; workout |
| 運転 | うんてん unten | operation (of a machine); running; working |
| 運営 | うんえい un'ei | management; administration; operation |
| 運用 | うんよう un'you | making use of; application; practical use |
| 運ぶ | はこぶ hakobu | to carry; to transport; to move |
| 生命 | せいめい seimei | life; existence |
| 革命 | かくめい kakumei | revolution |
| 命令 | めいれい meirei | order; command; decree |
See also: Chinese symbol for “destiny”.
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.