King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “eloquence”

Romaji: ben
speech; tongue; talk; eloquence

In Japanese, eloquence is , read (ben).

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

  1. n speech; tongue; talk; eloquence
  2. n-suf dialect; brogue; accent
  3. n bento; Japanese box lunch
  4. n petal
  5. n valve
  6. n Oversight Department; division of the daijokan under the ritsuryō system responsible for controlling central and provincial governmental offices

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

valve, petal, braid
on: ベン、ヘン
kun: かんむり、わきま.える、わ.ける、はなびら
5 strokes · JLPT 1

Other Japanese words for “eloquence”

WordReadingMeaning
ゆうべん yuubeneloquence; fluency (of speech)
べんぜつ benzetsuspeech; eloquence; manner of speaking
くちきき kuchikikieloquence; eloquent person
たていたにみず tateitanimizueloquence; volubility; (like) water on a standing board
のうべん noubeneloquence; oratory

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
べんごし bengoshilawyer; attorney
べんとう bentoubento; Japanese box lunch
べんご bengodefense; defence; pleading
とうべん toubenresponse; reply; answer
べんめい benmeiexplanation; excuse; clarification
べんろん benrondiscussion; debate; argument

See also: Chinese symbol for “eloquence”.

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.

Last posts

  1. Best Wooden Butterfly Knives for Wing Chun Form Practice
  2. Choosing a Bokken Set for Training Quality and Durability
  3. Best Lightweight Bokken for Older Students and Senior Aikido
  4. Choosing a Bokken for Koryu Practice by School Requirements
  5. Choosing a Bokken Tsuba and Stopper Set for Training
  6. Cotton vs Polyester Hakama Which Is Easier to Maintain
  7. Choosing Your First Bokken for Serious Samurai Training
  8. Are Engraved Bokken Good Gifts and Can You Train With Them
  9. Best Wooden Naginata for Practice and How to Choose Yours
  10. Choosing a Keikogi for Hakama Compatibility and Performance