Japanese symbol for “former”
前者
ぜんしゃ
Romaji: zensha
the former; the first
In Japanese, former is 前者, read ぜんしゃ (zensha).
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 the former; the first
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “former”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先 | せん sen | former; previous; old |
| 元 | もと moto | former; ex-; past |
| 前 | ぜん zen | last (i.e. immediately preceding); previous; ex- |
| 前任 | ぜんにん zennin | former (incumbent); predecessor |
| 旧 | きゅう kyuu | old; former; ex- |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 名前 | なまえ namae | name |
| 以前 | いぜん izen | before; prior to; ago |
| お前 | おまえ omae | you |
| 前回 | ぜんかい zenkai | previous time; last time; previous installment |
| 午前 | ごぜん gozen | morning; a.m. |
| 当たり前 | あたりまえ atarimae | natural; reasonable; obvious |
| 患者 | かんじゃ kanja | patient |
| 記者 | きしゃ kisha | reporter; journalist |
See also: Chinese symbol for “former”.
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.