Japanese symbol for “discover”
知る
しる
Romaji: shiru
to know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of); to learn (of)
In Japanese, discover is 知る, read しる (shiru).
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 know; to be aware (of); to be conscious (of); to learn (of); to find out; to discover
- v5r, vt to sense; to feel; to notice; to realize
- v5r, vt to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to appreciate
- v5r, vt to remember; to be familiar with; to be acquainted with
- v5r, vt to experience; to go through; to know (e.g. hardship)
- v5r, vt to get acquainted with (a person); to get to know
Written forms: 知る、識る. Readings: しる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “discover”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見つける | みつける mitsukeru | to find; to discover; to come across |
| 見破る | みやぶる miyaburu | to see through (a plot, lie, etc.); to penetrate into; to discover |
| 見出す | みいだす miidasu | to find out; to discover; to notice |
| 探し出す | さがしだす sagashidasu | to track down; to locate; to find out |
| 見つけ出す | みつけだす mitsukedasu | to find out; to discover; to locate |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 知識 | ちしき chishiki | knowledge; information |
| ご存知 | ごぞんじ gozonji | knowing; being aware (of) |
| 知事 | ちじ chiji | prefectural governor |
| 知り合い | しりあい shiriai | acquaintance |
| 通知 | つうち tsuuchi | notice; notification; report |
See also: Chinese symbol for “discover”.
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.