Japanese symbol for “happen”
起こる
おこる
Romaji: okoru
to occur; to happen
In Japanese, happen is 起こる, read おこる (okoru).
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
- v5r, vi to occur; to happen
Written forms: 起こる、起る. Readings: おこる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “happen”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 有る | ある aru | to happen; to come about |
| 始まる | はじまる hajimaru | to happen (again); to begin (anew) |
| 起きる | おきる okiru | to occur (usu. of unfavourable incidents); to happen; to take place |
| 降りかかる | ふりかかる furikakaru | to befall; to happen (to) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 起訴 | きそ kiso | prosecution; indictment |
| 起こす | おこす okosu | to raise; to raise up; to set up |
| 起きる | おきる okiru | to get up; to rise; to blaze up (fire) |
| 起源 | きげん kigen | origin; beginning; source |
| 提起 | ていき teiki | raising (a question); posing (a problem); bringing up (an issue) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “happen”.
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.