Japanese symbol for “initial”
初回
しょかい
Romaji: shokai
first time; first innings; initial attempt
In Japanese, initial is 初回, read しょかい (shokai).
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 first time; first innings; initial attempt
- adj-no first; initial
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “initial”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 初年度 | しょねんど shonendo | first year; initial (year) |
| 頭字 | かしらじ kashiraji | first letter; first letters; initial |
| 初度 | しょど shodo | first-time; initial |
| イニシャル | イニシャル inisharu | initial; first |
| 声母 | せいぼ seibo | initial (part of Chinese syllable) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最初 | さいしょ saisho | beginning; outset; first |
| 初期 | しょき shoki | early days; early years; early stages |
| 当初 | とうしょ tousho | beginning; start; outset |
| 初日 | しょにち shonichi | first day; opening day |
| 初めて | はじめて hajimete | for the first time |
| 初心者 | しょしんしゃ shoshinsha | beginner |
| 今回 | こんかい konkai | this time; now |
| 回復 | かいふく kaifuku | restoration; recovery; rehabilitation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “initial”.
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.