Japanese symbol for “hermit”
仙
せん
Romaji: sen
hermit; wizard
In Japanese, hermit is 仙, read せん (sen).
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 hermit; wizard
- n wizardry
Written forms: 仙、僊. Readings: せん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “hermit”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 世捨て人 | よすてびと yosutebito | hermit; recluse |
| 隠者 | いんじゃ inja | hermit; recluse |
| 山人 | やまびと yamabito | mountain folk; hermit |
| 隠士 | いんし inshi | hermit; recluse |
| 野武士 | のぶし nobushi | hermit; mountain ascetic; itinerant priest |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 仙人 | せんにん sennin | immortal mountain wizard (in Taoism); mountain man (esp. a hermit) |
| 仙台 | せんだい sendai | Sendai (city in Miyagi) |
| 水仙 | すいせん suisen | daffodil (esp. Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis); narcissus |
| 歌仙 | かせん kasen | great (waka) poet; immortal poet |
| 仙道 | せんどう sendou | Taoist teachings; Taoist arts; path to becoming an immortal |
| 仙骨 | せんこつ senkotsu | sacrum; sacral bone |
See also: Chinese symbol for “hermit”.
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.