Japanese symbol for “foe”
仇
あだ
Romaji: ada
foe; enemy; rival
In Japanese, foe is 仇, read あだ (ada).
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 foe; enemy; rival
- n resentment; enmity; grudge
- n harm; injury
Written forms: 仇、寇、讐、賊. Readings: あだ、あた、あたん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “foe”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 敵 | かたき kataki | rival; opponent; adversary |
| 反対者 | はんたいしゃ hantaisha | foe; opponent; adversary |
| 敵人 | てきじん tekijin | enemy; foe; opposing side (esp. in battle) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 仇敵 | きゅうてき kyuuteki | bitter enemy |
| 仇討ち | あだうち adauchi | vengeance; revenge; retaliation |
| 仇同士 | かたきどうし katakidoushi | mutual enemies |
| 仇讎 | きゅうしゅう kyuushuu | revenge; bitter enemy |
| 復仇 | ふっきゅう fukkyuu | reprisal; revenge |
| 仇になる | あだになる adaninaru | to backfire; to have a harmful result |
See also: Chinese symbol for “foe”.
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.