Japanese symbol for “initiate”
始める
はじめる
Romaji: hajimeru
to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate
In Japanese, initiate is 始める, read はじめる (hajimeru).
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
- v1, vt to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate
- v1, vt to start up (a business, society, etc.); to open (e.g. a store); to establish
- aux-v, v1 to start ...; to begin to ...
Written forms: 始める、創める. Readings: はじめる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “initiate”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新入り | しんいり shin'iri | newcomer; initiate; rookie |
| 阿闍梨 | あじゃり ajari | initiate (esp. as a formal rank in Tendai and Shingon) |
| 始む | はじむ hajimu | to start; to begin; to commence |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開始 | かいし kaishi | start; commencement; beginning |
| 始め | はじめ hajime | beginning; start; outset |
| 始まり | はじまり hajimari | origin; beginning; start |
| 始まる | はじまる hajimaru | to begin; to start; to commence |
| 終始 | しゅうし shuushi | beginning and end |
See also: Chinese symbol for “initiate”.
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.