Japanese symbol for “essentially”
本来
ほんらい
Romaji: honrai
originally; primarily
In Japanese, essentially is 本来, read ほんらい (honrai).
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, adv, n originally; primarily
- adj-no, adv, n essentially; intrinsically; naturally; by nature; in (and of) itself
- adj-no, n proper; rightful; legal; normal
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “essentially”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 元来 | がんらい ganrai | originally; essentially; naturally |
| 実質 | じっしつ jisshitsu | in essence; in effect; essentially |
| 原則として | げんそくとして gensokutoshite | as a rule; in general; in principle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本 | にほん nihon | Japan |
| 基本 | きほん kihon | basics; fundamentals; basis |
| 本当 | ほんとう hontou | truth; reality; actuality |
| 本人 | ほんにん honnin | the person in question; the person themselves; said person |
| 本気 | ほんき honki | seriousness; earnestness; truth |
| 未来 | みらい mirai | (distant) future |
| 出来る | できる dekiru | to be able to do; to be possible; to be permitted (to do) |
| 以来 | いらい irai | since; henceforth |
See also: Chinese symbol for “essentially”.
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.