Japanese symbol for “discern”
悟る
さとる
Romaji: satoru
to sense; to perceive; to notice; to discern
In Japanese, discern is 悟る, read さとる (satoru).
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
- v5r, vt to sense; to perceive; to notice; to discern; to become aware of
- v5r, vt to understand; to comprehend; to realize
- v5r, vi, vt to attain enlightenment (Buddh)
Written forms: 悟る、覚る. Readings: さとる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “discern”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 弁える | わきまえる wakimaeru | to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish |
| 判別がつく | はんべつがつく hanbetsugatsuku | to distinguish; to discern; to make out |
| 見切る | みきる mikiru | to see clearly; to perceive clearly; to discern |
| 嗅ぎ分ける | かぎわける kagiwakeru | to discern (one thing from another); to determine |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 覚悟 | かくご kakugo | readiness; (mental) preparedness |
| 悟り | さとり satori | comprehension; understanding |
| 大悟 | たいご taigo | enlightenment; great wisdom |
| 孫悟空 | そんごくう songokuu | Sun Wukong (character in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West); Monkey King |
| 悔悟 | かいご kaigo | remorse; repentance |
See also: Chinese symbol for “discern”.
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.