Japanese symbol for “driving”
運転
うんてん
Romaji: unten
operation (of a machine); running; working
In Japanese, driving is 運転, read うんてん (unten).
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, vi, vs operation (of a machine); running; working
- n, vs, vt driving (a vehicle)
- n, vs, vt use (of capital, funds, etc.); management; investment
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “driving”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 打ち込み | うちこみ uchikomi | driving; pounding in; shooting into |
| 駆動 | くどう kudou | drive; driving (force) |
| ドライブ | ドライブ doraibu | drive; trip by car; driving |
| 追い込み | おいこみ oikomi | driving (animals, fish, etc.); herding; chasing |
| ドライビング | ドライビング doraibingu | driving (a vehicle) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 運動 | うんどう undou | exercise; physical training; workout |
| 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 |
| 運命 | うんめい unmei | fate; destiny; lot |
| 運ぶ | はこぶ hakobu | to carry; to transport; to move |
| 自転車 | じてんしゃ jitensha | bicycle; bike |
| 回転 | かいてん kaiten | rotation; revolution; turn |
| 移転 | いてん iten | moving; relocation; change of address |
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.