Japanese symbol for “exception”
例外
れいがい
Romaji: reigai
exception
In Japanese, exception is 例外, read れいがい (reigai).
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, n exception
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “exception”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 除外 | じょがい jogai | exception; exclusion |
| 番外 | ばんがい bangai | exception; supernumerary; extra (theatrical) |
| 特例 | とくれい tokurei | special case; exception |
| 別 | べつ betsu | exception; exclusion |
| 別物 | べつもの betsumono | another thing; exception; special case |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 例えば | たとえば tatoeba | for example; for instance; e.g. |
| 比例 | ひれい hirei | proportion |
| 条例 | じょうれい jourei | regulations; rules |
| 恒例 | こうれい kourei | established practice; custom |
| 例年 | れいねん reinen | average (normal, ordinary) year |
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for); apart from |
See also: Chinese symbol for “exception”.
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.