Japanese symbol for “guts”
根性
こんじょう
Romaji: konjou
willpower; guts; determination; grit
In Japanese, guts is 根性, read こんじょう (konjou).
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 willpower; guts; determination; grit; spirit
- n character; nature; disposition; personality
Written forms: 根性、根情. Readings: こんじょう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “guts”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 心臓 | しんぞう shinzou | guts; nerve; cheek |
| 度胸 | どきょう dokyou | courage; bravery; pluck |
| ガッツ | ガッツ gattsu | guts |
| 気概 | きがい kigai | strong spirit; mettle; backbone |
| 肝 | きも kimo | courage; spirit; pluck |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 屋根 | やね yane | roof |
| 根拠 | こんきょ konkyo | basis; grounds; foundation |
| 根本 | こんぽん konpon | root; source; origin |
| 大根 | だいこん daikon | daikon (variety of large white Oriental radish, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus) |
| 島根 | しまね shimane | Shimane (prefecture) |
| 女性 | じょせい josei | woman; female |
| 男性 | だんせい dansei | man; male |
| 性格 | せいかく seikaku | character (of a person); personality; disposition |
See also: Chinese symbol for “guts”.
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.