Japanese symbol for “founder”
親
おや
Romaji: oya
parent; parents; mother and father
In Japanese, founder is 親, read おや (oya).
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 parent; parents; mother and father
- n dealer; banker (cards, mahj)
- n founder; inventor
- n (pet) owner
- adj-no, n key; parent (organization); main
- n ancestor; forefather
Written forms: 親、祖. Readings: おや.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “founder”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 初代 | しょだい shodai | first generation; founder |
| 父 | ちち chichi | father (e.g. of a discipline); pioneer (e.g. of field of research); founder |
| 始祖 | しそ shiso | founder; originator; pioneer |
| 元祖 | がんそ ganso | originator; pioneer; inventor |
| 開祖 | かいそ kaiso | (sect) founder; apostle; originator |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| 両親 | りょうしん ryoushin | parents; both parents |
| 親子 | おやこ oyako | parent and child |
| 親友 | しんゆう shin'yuu | close friend; bosom friend; buddy |
| 親族 | しんぞく shinzoku | relative; relation; kin |
See also: Chinese symbol for “founder”.
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.