Japanese symbol for “imitate”
倣う
ならう
Romaji: narau
to imitate; to follow; to copy; to emulate
In Japanese, imitate is 倣う, read ならう (narau).
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
- v5u, vi to imitate; to follow; to copy; to emulate
Written forms: 倣う、傚う、慣らう. Readings: ならう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “imitate”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 見習う | みならう minarau | to follow (someone's) example; to imitate; to copy |
| 似せる | にせる niseru | to copy; to imitate; to counterfeit |
| 写す | うつす utsusu | to imitate; to model after |
| 真似る | まねる maneru | to mimic; to imitate |
| 模す | もす mosu | to imitate; to copy; to mock |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 模倣 | もほう mohou | imitation; copying |
| 模倣者 | もほうしゃ mohousha | imitator |
| 模倣犯 | もほうはん mohouhan | copycat criminal; copycat crime |
| 模倣品 | もほうひん mohouhin | counterfeit goods; knock-off; imitation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “imitate”.
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.