Japanese symbol for “exhortation”
苦言
くげん
Romaji: kugen
candid advice; frank advice; honest opinion; exhortation
In Japanese, exhortation is 苦言, read くげん (kugen).
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 candid advice; frank advice; honest opinion; exhortation; harsh but honest advice
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “exhortation”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 教誨 | きょうかい kyoukai | admonishment; scolding; exhortation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苦手 | にがて nigate | poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at) |
| 苦労 | くろう kurou | trouble; hardship; difficulty |
| 苦しみ | くるしみ kurushimi | pain; anguish; distress |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 苦情 | くじょう kujou | complaint; troubles; objection |
| 苦しい | くるしい kurushii | painful; difficult; tough |
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect |
See also: Chinese symbol for “exhortation”.
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.